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3L,  I  B  Pi- -A.  Pt  "ST 

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PBINCETON.  X.  J. 
The  Stephen  Collins  Donation. 


No.  Case,  ^'^• 

No.  Shelf, ^Q^x\ on. 
No.  Book, 


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TREATISE 


coxcEnxixe 


RELIGIOUS  AFFECTIONS 

IN  THREE  PARTS. 


I.  NATURE  OF  THE  APFECTIONS,  AJfD  THEIR  IMPORTAXCE  rx  UELIRIOV. 

II.  SHOWING   WHAT    ARE    NO   CERTAIN  SIGNS  THAT    RELIGIOUS    AFFECTIONS    ARE 
GRACIOUS,    OR  THAT  THET  ARE  NOT. 

III.  SHOWING  WHAT  ARE  DISTINGUISHING  SIGNS  OF  TRULY  GRACIOUS  AND  HOLY 
AFFECTIONS. 


BY  THE  LATE  REVEREND 

JONATHAN  EDWARDS,  A.  M. 

rHESIDEXT  OF    PRINCETON    COLLEGE. 


TO    WHICH    IS    PREFIXED, 

A  Sketch  of  the  Life  of  the  Author 


PHILADELPHIA: 

PUBLISHED  BY  JABIES  CRISSY,   NO.   177,   CHESNUT  STREET, 
OPPOSITE    THE  STATE  HOUSE. 

G.  GOODMAN,  PRINTER. 

1831. 


ADVERTISEMENT. 

After  this  work  had  gone  to  press,  it  was  suggested  to  the  pub- 
lisher that  some  biographical  information  of  its  justly  esteemed  au- 
thor, would  be  peculiarly  acceptable  to  the  reader  and  give  a 
higher  interest  to  the  work.  A  sketch  of  the  Author's  life,  his 
edifying  diary,  and  a  very  particular  account  of  his  conversion, 
have  accordingly  been  added. 

As  the  works  of  the  late  President  Edwards  may  not  have  beea 
so  generally  diffused  as  many  other  works  of  less  instructive  tenor, 
the  present  publisher  of  his  Treatise  on  Religious  Affections  deems 
it  necessary  to  insert  the  recommendation  of  the  following  reve- 
rend gentlemen: 

Recommendation. 

Mr.  James  Crissy,  printer,  being  about  to  republish,  in  a  single 
Volume,  the  "  Treatise  concerning  Rtligious  Jlffections,''''  by  the  late 
President  Edwards,  and  wishing  an  expression  of  the  sentiments 
of  some  of  the  Ministers,  relative  to  the  utility  of  the  work,  the 
diiliculty  lies  in  attempting  to  recommend  a  book,  the  praise  of 
which  is  in  the  churches.  It  admits  of  no  rival  on  its  subject. 
which  is  uninspired.  The  language  is  heavy,  but  every  part  of 
it  indispensable.  It  is  constantly  put  into  the  hands  of  those  who 
wish  to  know  themselves,  and  whether  they  be  really  Christians. 
To  such  we  recommend  it. 

JAMES  P.  WILSON. 

J.  J.  JANEWAY. 

WILLIAM  NEILL. 

T.  H.  SKINNER. 

EZRA  STILES  ELY. 

J.  BRODHEAD. 


A  SKETCH 


%mm  ®w  wwM§2wmm^  mmfAmm§9 


WITI£ 

^     ■  EXTFJACTS  FROM  HIS  DIARY,   AND  OTHER   PRIVATE 

WRITINGS ; 


r^ 


TOGETHER   WITH   HIS  OWrf 

'"ACCOUNT  OF  HIS  CONVERSION. 

Mr.  Jonathan  Edwards  was  born  on  the  5th  of  October, 
1703,  at  Windsor,  in  the  state  of  Connecticut,  North  America. 
His  father  was  minister  of  that  place  almost  sixty  years:  he  was 
descended  from  Mr.  Richard  Edwards,  minister  of  the  gospel  in 
London,  in  the  reign  of  Queen  Elizabeth,  by  whom  it  seems,  his 
wife  was  employed  for  some  part  of  her  royal  attire.  In  short,  by 
his  lineage  it  appears,  that  his  ancestors  came  from  the  west  of 
England,  and  allied  themselves,  upon  their  emigration,  to  some  of 
the  best  families  in  the  new  country,  whither  they  came. 

Our  author  was  entered  at  Yale  College  in  1716,  and  was  made 
Bachelor  of  Arts  in  1720,  before  he  was  seventeen  years  of  age. 
His  mental  powers  opened  themselves  so  early  and  so  strongly, 
that  he  read  Locke's  Essay  upon  Human  Understanding  with  de- 
light, in  his  second  year  at  this  college,  when  other  boys  usually 
amuse  themselves  with  Robinson  Crusoe,  or  books  of  romance  and 
amusement.  He  discovered  thus  early  an  uncommon  depth,  so- 
lidity, and  penetration  of  mind,  which  found  nothing  so  pleasant 
to  itself,  as  the  exercise  of  its  own  powers. 

He  lived  at  College  nearly  two  years  after  taking  his  first  de- 
gree, preparing  himself,  principally,  for  the  sacred  function.  After 
passing  the  usual  trials,  he  was  licensed. 

In  August,  1722,  he  received  a  call  to  preach  to  the  English 
presbjierians  at  New- York,  where  he  continued  with  approbation 
above  eight  months.  This  society  was  then  too  small  to  maintain 
a  minister;  and  therefore,  in  the  spring  of  the  year  1723,  he  re- 
turned to  his  father's  house  in  Connecticut,  where  during  the  fol- 
lowing summer,  he  followed  his  studies  with  the  closest  applica- 
1 


^ 


VI  LIFE  OF  EDWARDS. 

tion.  It  appears,  however,  that  he  had  a  deep  sense  of  his  chris- 
tian and  ministerial  profession  upon  his  mind,  during  his  abode  at 
New- York;  that  the  people  he  watched  over  became  very  dear  to 
him;  and  that  he  left  them  at  last  with  great  regret. 

In  the  spring  of  the  year  1724,  having  taken  his  master's  de- 
gree in  the  year  before,  he  was  chosen  tutor  of  Yale  College;  and 
he  followed  this  duty  above  two  years.  It  must  be  owned,  that 
this  was  an  engagement  of  great  consequence  for  a  young  man  of 
twenty -one,  who,  by  his  early  introduction  to  the  ministry  and  ^^ 
other  avocations,  could  not  have  found  too  many  opportunities  for 
his  own  improvement:  but  the  strength  of  his  mind  overcame 
what  are  usually  insufferable  difficulties  in  the  way  of  the  gene- 
rality. 

In  September,  1726,  he  resigned  his  tutorship,  in  consequence 
of  the  invitation  of  the  people  at  Northampton,  in  (^tawMs«<#eu<^ 
for  assistance  to  his  mother's  father,  Mr.  Stoddard,  who  Was  the  set- 
tled minister  of  the  town.  He  was  ordained  colleague  on  the  15th 
of  February,  1727,  in  the  24th  year  of  his  age,  and  continued  in 
the  ministerial  service  there,  till  the  22d  June,  1750;  when  he 
was  dismissed.! 

Thus  ended  his  service  of  near  four-and-twenty  years  for  a 
people,  who  had  been  much  upon  his  heart,  and  for  whom  he  had 
always  expressed  a  very  tender  concern.  "  For  their  good  he 
was  always  writing,  contriving,  labouring;  for  them  he  had  poured 
out  ten  thousand  fervent  prayers;  and  in  their  welfare  he  had  re- 
joiced as  one  that  findeth  great  spoil."  Yet  all  their  bad  conduct 
did  not  alter  the  frame  of  his  mind.  "  His  calmness  and  sedate- 
ness,  his  meekness  and  humility  under  the  most  injurious  treat- 
ment, his  resolution  and  conduct  in  the  whole  affair,  were  truly 
wonderful,  and  can  not  be  set  in  so  beautiful  and  affecting  a  light 
by  any  description,  as  they  appeared  in  to  his  friends,  who  were 
eye-witnesses." 

Mr.  Edwards,  who  was  able  to  shine  in  the  seats  of  learning, 
and  some  time  after  was  called  to  preside  over  one,  was  now  de- 
legated to  the  instruction  of  savage  Indians  at  Stockbridge.  This 
place  is  in  the  western  part  of  Massachusetts  Bay,  and  about  sixty 
miles  from  Mr.  Edwards's  former  residence  at  Northampton.  He 
was  fixed  here  on  the  8th  of  August,  1751;  and  here  he  con- 
tinued his  labours,  in  more  peace  and  quietness  than  he  had  ever 
known  before^ for  six  years.  In  this  interval,  old  as  he  was,  he 
made  greater  attainments  in  knowledge,  and  wrote  more  for  the 

fThe  circumstances  which  led  to  the  dismissal  of  Mr.  Edwards,  are  detail- 
ed in  the  Biogi^aphia  Evangelica;  and  his  conduct  is  there  represented  in  a 
truly  blameless  and  amiable  light. 


LIFE  OP  EDWARDS.  VU 

church  of  God,  than  he  had  ever  been  able  to  do,  within  the  same 
space  of  time,  during  the  former  part  of  his  life.  In  this  retire- 
ment, he  composed  his  deepest  and  most  valuable  works;  so  that 
when,  in  his  own  judgment,  as  well  as  in  that  of  others,  his  use- 
fulness seemed  to  be  cut  off,  he  found  greater  opportunities  of 
more  lasting  service  than  ever.  A  pleasing  calm,  after  so  grievous 
a  storm,  to  his  placid  mind! 

On  the  death  of  Mr.  Aaron  Burr,  president  of  New-Jersey  Col- 
lege, which  was  on  the  24th  of  September,  1757,  the  trustees  of 
that  seminary  did  themselves  the  honour  of  choosing  Mr.  Edwards 
to  succeed  him.  As  this  was  unsolicited  and  unexpected,  it  does 
great  credit  to  both  sides.  But  our  excellent  author  was  so  far 
from  desiring  this  preferment,  that  it  was  with  difficulty  he  could 
be  prevailed  on  to  accept  it:  modestly  and  unaffectedly  alledging 
his  own  insufficiency,  ill  health,  and  disuse  to  that  kind  ot  life. 
At  length,  upon  the  arguments  and  persuasions  of  his  brethren  in 
the  ministry,  he  did  accept  of  this  presidency,  and  went  from 
Stockbridge  to  Princeton,  in  January,  1758.  But,  alas!  the  end 
of  his  labours  on  earth  was  approaching.  He  had  only  preached 
two  or  three  sermons,  not  having  entered  fully  upon  the  duties  of 
his  new  office,  before  he  was  called  to  a  higher  place  and  to  a 
better  service.  The  small-pox,  which  had  always  been  unusually 
fatal  in  America,  had  infected  Princeton,  which  induced  the  phy- 
sician of  the  place  to  advise  him  to  be  inoculated,  with  the  con- 
sent of  the  corporation.  Accordingly  he  was  inoculated,  on  the 
1 3th  of  February,  and  his  disorder  at  first  seemed  to  be  favour- 
able; but  a  fever  coming  on,  and  the  pustules  lying  much  in  his 
throat,  no  proper  medicines  could  be  administered,  and  therefore 
the  violence  of  it  raged,  till  it  put  an  end  to  his  mortal  life,  on  the 
32d  of  March,  1758,  in  the  fifty-fifth  year  of  his  age. 

When  he  was  sensible  that  death  was  approaching,  he  called 
his  daughter  (who  was  the  only  part  of  his  family  which  had  yet 
removed  with  him,)  and  addressed  her  in  the  following  words: 
"  Dear  Lucy,  it  seems  to  me  to  be  the  will  of  God,  that  I  must 
shortly  leave  you:  therefore,  give  my  kindest  love  to  my  dear 
wife,  and  tell  her,  that  the  uncommon  union  which  has  so  long 
subsisted  between  us,  has  been  of  such  a  nature,  as  I  trust  is 
spiritual,  and  therefore  will  continue  for  ever.  I  hope  she  will 
be  supported  under  so  great  a  trial,  and  submit  cheerfully  to  the 
will  of  God.  And  as  to  my  children,  you  are  now  like  to  be  left 
fatherless,  which  I  hope  will  be  an  inducement  to  you  to  seek  a 
Father,  who  will  never  fail  you."  He  desired  that  his  funeral  might 
be  attended  with  no  parade  (as  is  usual  in  America,)  but  rather 
something  be  given  to  the  poor.     He  could  say  but  little  in  his 


Vill  LIFE  OF  EDWARDS. 

sickness,  owing  to  the  nature  and  seat  of  his  disorder;  but  just  at 
the  last,  when  surrounded  by  friends  lamenting  their  own  loss  and 
that  of  the  church  and  college,  he  said,  to  their  great  surprise, 
as  they  did  not  imagine  he  heard  them,  or  could  speak  himself; 
"  Trust  in  God,  and  ye  need  not  fear. ^''  And  then  almost  literally, 
fell  asleep  in  Jesus. 

A  marble  tomb-stone,  with  a  latin  inscription,  has  been  erected 
by  the  trustees  of  the  college  over  his  grave,  in  the  burial  ground 
at  Princeton. 

Though  he  was  of  a  tender  and  delicate  constitution,  yei  few 
students  are  capable  of  a  close  application  more  hours  in  a  day 
tlnm  he.  He  commonly  spent  thirteen  hours  every  day  in  his 
study.  His  most  usual  diversion  in  the  summer  was  riding  on 
horseback  and  walking.  He  vyould  commonly,  unless  diverted 
br  company,  ride  two  or  three  miles  after  dinner  to  some  lonely 
grove,  ^vhere  he  ivould  dismount  and  walk  awhile.  At  which 
times  he  generally  carried  his  pen  and  ink  with  him,  to  note  any 
thought  that  should  be  suggested,  Avhich  he  chose  to  retain  and 
pursue,  as  what  promised  some  light  on  any  important  subject. 
In  tlie  Avinter  he  AAas  wont  almost  daily  to  take  an  axe  and  chop 
wood  moderately  for  the  space  of  half  an  hour  or  more.  He  had 
an  uncommon  thirst  for  knowledge,  in  the  pursuit  of  which  he 
spared  not  cost  or  pains.  He  read  all  tlie  books,  especially  books 
of  divinity,  that  he  could  come  at,  from  which  he  could  hope  to 
get  any  help  in  his  pursuit  of  knowledge.  And,  in  this,  he  con- 
fined not  himself  to  authors  of  any  particular  sect  or  denomination; 
but  took  much  pains  to  come  at  the  books  of  the  most  noted  Avri- 
ters,  who  advance  a  scheme  of  divinity  most  contrary  to  his  own 
principles.  But  he  studied  the  Bible  more  than  all  other  books, 
and  more  than  most  other  divines  do.  His  uncommon  acquaint- 
ance Avith  the  Bible  appears  in  his  sermons,  and  in  most  of  his 
publications:  and  his  great  pains  in  studying  it  are  manifest  in 
liis  manuscript  notes  upon  it.  He  Avas  thought  by  some,  Avho  had 
but  a  slight  acquaintaince  Avith  him,  to  be  stiff  and  unsociable; 
but  this  Avas  owing  to  want  of  better  acquaintance.  He  Avas  not 
a  man  of  many  Avords  indeed,  and  Avas  somcAvhat  reserved  among 
strangers,  and  those  on  Avhose  candour  and  friendship  he  did  not 
knoAv  he  could  rely.  But  how  groundless  the  imputation  of  stiff 
and  unsociable  Avas,  his  knoAvn  and  tried  friends  best  kncAV. 
They  ahvays  found  him  easy  of  access,  kind  and  condescending; 
and  though  not  talkative,  yet  affable  and  free.  Among  such  whose 
candour  and  friendship  he  had  experienced,  he  thrcAV  off  the  re- 
serve, and  Avas  most  open  and  free;  quite  patient  of  contradiction, 
while  the  utmost  opposition  Avas  made  to  his  sentiments,  that 


LIFE  OF  EDWARDS.  IX 

coultl  be  by  any  plausible  arguments  or  objections.  His  conver- 
sation with  his  friends  was  always  savoury  and  profitable:  in  this 
he  was  remarkable,  and  almost  singular.  He  was  not  used  to 
spend  his  time  with  them  in  scandal,  evil  speaking,  and  back- 
biting, or  in  foolish  jesting,  idle  chat,  and  telling  stories:  but  his 
mouth  was  that  of  the  just,  which  bringeth  forth  wisdom,  and  his 
lips  dispersed  knowledge.  His  tongue  was  as  the  pen  of  a  ready 
writer,  while  he  conversed  about  important,  heavenly,  divine  things, 
which  his  heart  was  so  full  of,  in  such  a  natural  and  free  manner, 
as  to  be  most  entertaining  and  instructive:  so  that  none  of  his 
friends  could  enjoy  his  company  without  instruction  and  profit, 
unless  it  was  by  their  own  fault.  He  kept  himself  quite  free 
from  worldly  cares.  He  gave  himself  wholly  to  the  work  of  the 
ministry,  and  entangled  not  himself  with  the  affairs  of  this  life. 
He  left  the  particular  oversight  and  direction  of  the  temporal  con- 
cern of  his  family,  almost  entirely  to  Mrs.  Ed^vards;  %vho  Avas 
better  able  than  most  of  her  sex  to  take  the  w^hole  care  of  them 
on  her  hands.  He  was  less  acquainted  with  most  of  his  tempo- 
ral affairs  than  many  of  his  neighbours;  and  seldom  knew  when 
and  by  whom  his  forage  for  winter  was  gathered  in,  or  how  many 
milk  kine  he  had,  whence  his  table  was  furnished,  &c. 


EXTRACTS  FROM  HIS    PRIVATE  WRITINGS,  &C. 

His  Resolutions. 

Being  sensible  that  I  am  unable  to  do  any  thing  without  God's 
help,  I  do  humbly  intreat  him  by  his  grace  to  enable  me  to  keep 
these  resolutions,  so  far  as  they  are  agreeable  to  his  will,  for 
Christ's  sake. 

Remember  to  read  over  these  ItesohUions  once  a-iveek. 

1 .  Resolved,  That  I  will  do  whatsoever  I  think  to  be  most  to 
God's  glory,  and  my  own  good,  profit,  and  pleasure,  in  the  whole 
of  my  duration,  without  any  consideration  of  the  time,  ivhether 
now,  or  never  so  many  myriads  of  ages  hence.  Resolved  to  do 
whatever  I  think  to  be  my  duty,  and  most  for  the  good  and  ad- 
vantage of  mankind  in  general.  Resolved  to  do  this,  whatever 
difficulties  I  meet  with,  how  many  and  how  great  soever. 

2.  Resolved,  To  be  continually  endeavouring  to  find  out  some 
new  invention  and  contrivance  to  promote  the  fore-mentioned 
things. 

4.  Resolved,  Never  to  do  any  manner  of  thing,  whether  in  soul 


/ 


S  LIFE  OP  EDWARDS. 

or  body,  less  or  more,  but  what  tends  to  the  glory  of  God;  nor  be, 
nor  suffer  it,  if  I  can  avoid  it. 

5.  Resolved,  Never  to  lose  one  moment  of  time;  but  improve 
it  the  most  profitable  way  I  possibly  can. 

G,  Resolved,  To  live  with  all  my  might,  while  I  do  live. 

7.  Resolved,  Never  to  do  any  thing,  which  I  should  be  afraid 
to  do,  if  it  were  the  last  hour  of  my  life. 

9.  Resolved,  To  think  much  on  all  occasions  of  my  own  dying, 
and  of  the  common  circumstances  which  attend  death. 

11.  Resolved,  When  I  think  of  any  theorem  in  divinity  to  be 
solved,  immediately  to  do  what  I  can  towards  solving  it,  if  cir- 
cumstances do  not  hinder. 

13.  Resolved  to  be  endeavouring  to  find  out  fit  objects  of  charity 
and  liberality, 

1 4.  Resolved,  Never  to  do  any  thing  out  of  revenge. 

15.  Resolved,  Never  to  suflTer  the  least  motions  of  anger  to  ir- 
rational beings. 

17.  Resolved,  That  I  will  live  so  as  I  shall  wish  I  had  done 
when  I  come  to  die. 

18.  Resolved,  To  live  so  at  all  times,  as  I  think  is  best  in  my 
devout  frames,  and  when  I  have  clearest  notions  of  things  of  the 
gospel,  and  another  world. 

20.  Resolved,  To  maintain  the  strictest  temperance  in  eating 
and  drinking. 

21.  Resolved,  Never  to  do  any  thing,  which  if  I  should  see  in 
another,  I  should  count  a  just  occasion  to  despise  him  for,  or  to 
think  any  way  the  more  meanly  of  him, 

24.  Resolved,  Whenever  I  do  any  conspicuously  evil  action, 
to  trace  it  back,  till  I  come  to  the  original  cause;  and  then  both 
carefully  endeavour  to  do  so  no  more,  and  to  fight  and  pray  with 
all  my  might  against  the  original  of  it. 

28.  Resolved,  To  study  the  scriptures  so  steadily,  constantly, 
and  frequently,  as  that  I  may  find,  and  plainly  perceive  myself  to 
grow  in  the  knowledge  of  the  same. 

30,  Resolved,  To  strive  to  my  utmost  every  week  to  be  brought 
higher  in  religion,  and  to  a  higher  exercise  of  grace,  than  I  was 
the  week  before. 

32.  Resolved,  To  be  strictly  and  firmly  faithful  to  my  trust, 
that  that  in  Prov.  xx.  6,  a  faithful  man  who  can  find?  may  not  be 
partly  fulfilled  in  me. 

33.  Resolved,  Always  to  do  what  I  can  towards  making,  main- 
taining and  establishing  peace,  when  it  can  be  without  over-ba- 
lancing detriment  in  other  respects. 

34.  Resolved,  In  narrations  never  to  speak  any  thing  but  the 
'pure  aflrt.1  simple  verity. 


UPE  OP  EDWARDS.  Xl 

36.  Resolved,  Never  to  speak  evil  of  any,  except  I  have  some 
particular  good  call  for  it. 

37.  Resolved,  To  inquire  every  night,  as  t  am  going  to  bed, 
wherein  I  have  been  negligent,  what  sin  I  have  committed,  and 
wherein  I  have  denied  mjself;  also  at  the  end  of  every  week, 
month,  and  year. 

38.  Resolved,  Never  to  speak  any  thing  that  is  ridiculous,  or 
matter  of  laughter  on  the  Lord's  day. 

39.  Resolved,  Never  to  do  any  thing  that  I  so  much  question 
the  lawfulness  of,  as  that  I  intend,  at  the  same  time,  to  consider 
and  examine  afterwards,  whether  it  be  lawful  or  not:  except  I  as 
much  question  the  lawfulness  of  the  omission. 

41.  Resolved,  To  ask  myself  at  the  end  of  every  day,  week, 
jnonth,  and  year,  wherein  I  could  possibly  in  any  respect  have 
done  better. 

42.  Resolved,  Frequently  to  renew  the  dedication  of  myself  to 
God,  which  was  made  at  my  baptism;  which  I  solemnly  renewed 
when  I  was  received  into  the  communion  of  the  church;  and  which 
I  have  solemnly  re-made  this  12th  day  of  January  1722-3. 

43.  Resolved,  Never  hence-forward,  till  I  die,  to  act  as  if  I  were 
any  way  my  own,  but  entirely  and  altogether  God's:  agreeable  to 
what  is  to  be  found  in  Saturday  January  12. 

46.  Resolved,  Never  to  allow  the  least  measure  of  any  fretting 
uneasiness  at  my  father  or  mother.  Resolved  to  suffer  no  effects 
of  it,  so  much  as  in  the  least  alteration  of  speech,  or  motion  of  my 
eye:  and  to  be  especially  careful  of  it,  with  respect  to  any  of  our 
family. 

47.  Resolved,  To  endeavour  to  my  utmost  to  deny  whatever  is 
not  most  agreeable  to  a  good,  and  universally,  sweet  and  benevo- 
lent, quiet,  peaceable,  contented,  easy,  compassionate,  generous, 
humble,  meek,  modest,  submissive,  obliging,  diligent  and  indus- 
trious, charitable,  even,  patient,  moderate,  forgwing,  sincere  tem- 
per; and  to  do  at  all  times  what  such  a  temper  would  lead  me  to: 
examine  strictly  every  week,  whether  I  have  done  so. 

48.  Resolved,  Constantly,  with  the  utmost  niceness  and  dili- 
gence, and  the  strictest  scrutiny,  to  be  looking  into  the  state  of  my 
soul,  that  I  may  know  whether  I  have  truly  an  interest  in  Christ 
or  not;  that  when  I  come  to  die,  I  may  not  have  any  negligence 
respecting  this  to  repent  of. 

50.  Resolved,  I  will  act  so  as  I  think  I  shall  judge  would  have 
been  best,  and  most  prudent,  when  I  come  into  the  future  world. 

52.  I  frequently  hear  persons  in  old  age  say  how  they  would 
live,  if  they  were  to  live  their  lives  over  again:  Resolved,  that  1 
will  live  just  so  as  I  can  think  T  shall  wish  I  had  done,  supposing 
I  live  to  old  age. 


( 


XU  LIFE  OP  EDWARDS. 

54.  Whenever  I  hear  any  thing  spoken  in  conversation  of  anV 
person,  if  I  think  it  would  be  praiseworthy  in  me,  Resolved  to 
endeavour  to  imitate  it. 

55.  Resolved,  To  endeavour  to  my  utmost  to  act  as  I  can  think 
I  should  do,  if  I  had  already  seen  the  happiness  of  heaven,  and 
hell  torments. 

56.  Resolved,  Never  to  give  over,  nor  in  the  least  to  slacken 
my  fight  with  my  corruptions,  however  unsuccessful  I  may  be. 

57.  Resolved,  When  I  fear  misiortunes  and  adversities,  to  ex- 
amine whether  I  have  done  my  duty,  and  resolve  to  do  it;  and 
let  it  be  just  as  Providence  orders  it,  I  will  as  far  as  I  can,  be 
concerned  about  nothing  but  my  duty,  and  my  sin. 

62.  Resolved,  Never  to  do  any  thing  but  duty;  and  then  ac- 
cording to  Eph.  vi.  6,  7,  8,  do  it  willingly  and  cheerfully  as  unto 
the  Lord,  and  not  to  man;  knowing  that  whatever  good  thing  any 
man  doth,  the  same  shall  he  receive  of  the  Lord. 

65.  Resolved,  Very  much  to  exercise  myself  in  this  all  my  life 
long,  viz.  with  the  greatest  openness  I  am  capable  of,  to  declare 
my  ways  to  God,  and  lay  open  my  soul  to  him:  all  my  sins,  temp- 
tations, difficulties,  sorrows,  fears,  hopes,  desires,  and  every  thing, 
and  every  circumstance,  according  to  Dr.  Mantoa's  27th  sermon 
on  the  liOth  Psalm. 

67.  Resolved,  After  afflictions,  to  inquire,  what  I  am  the  bet- 
ter for  them,  what  good  I  have  got  by  them,  and  what  I  might 
have  got  by  them.f 


EXTRACTS  FROM  HIS  PRIVATE  DIARV. 

Saturday,  Dec.  22,  1722.  This  day  revived  by  God's  Spirit. 
Affected  with  the  sense  of  the  excellency  of  holiness.  Felt  more 
exercise  of  love  to  Christ  than  usual.  Have  also  felt  sensible  re- 
pentance of  sin,  because  it  was  committed  against  so  merciful  and 
good  a  God.     This  night  made  the  37th  Resolution. 

Sabbath-day  night,  Dec.  23.    Made  the  38th  Resolution. 

Monday,  Dec,  24.  Higher  thoughts  than  usual  of  the  excellen- 
cy of  Jesus  Christ  and  his  kingdom. 

Wednesday,  Jan.  2,  1722-3.  Dull.  I  find  by  experience,  that 
let  me  make  resolutions,  and  do  what  I  will,  with  never  so  many 
inventions,  it  is  all  nothing,  and  to  no  purpose  at  all,  without  the 

f  The  Resolutions  are  seventy  in  number.  But  part  of  tbem  are  here 
transcribed,  as  a  specimen  of  the  whole.  The  number  here  affixed  tc  them 
is  that  by  which  they  are  numbered  in  the  original  manuscript;  and  rr  ain- 
ed  here  for  the  sake  of  the  references  mads  to  some  of  them  in  the  Diary, 
as  the  reader  will  presently  see* 


LIFE  OF  EDWARDS.  Xlil 

motions  of  the  Spirit  of  God:  for  if  the  Spirit  of  God  should  be 
as  mucli  with(h-an'n  from  me  always,  as  for  the  week  past,  not- 
withstanding all  I  do,  I  should  not  grow;  but  should  languish,  and 
miserably  fade  away. — There  is  no  dependence  upon  myself.  It 
is  to  no  purpose  to  resolve,  except  we  depend  on  the  grace  of  God; 
for  if  it  were  not  for  his  mere  grace,  one  might  be  a  very  good 
man  one  day,  and  a  very  wicked  one  the  next. 

Sabbath-day^  Jan.  6,  at  night.  Much  concerned  about  the  im- 
provement of  precious  time.  Intend  to  live  in  continual  mortifi- 
cation, without  ceasing,  as  long  as  in  this  world. 

Tuesday^  Jan.  8.  in  the  mortiing.  Higher  thoughts  than  usual, 
of  the  excellency  of  Christ,  and  felt  an  unusual  repentance  of  sin 
therefrom. 

JVedncsday^  Jan.  9.  at  night.  Decayed.  I  am  sometimes  apt 
to  think,  I  have  a  great  deal  more  of  holiness  than  I  have.  I  find 
now  and  then,  that  abominable  corruption  which  is  directly  con- 
trary to  what  I  read  of  eminent  Christians. — How  deceitful  is  my 
heart!  I  take  up  a  strong  resolution,  but  how  soon  does  it  weaken! 

Thursday.,  Jan.  10.  about  noon.  Reviving.  'Tis  a  great  dis- 
honour to  Christ,  in  whom  I  hope  I  have  an  interest,  to  be  uneasy 
at  my  worldly  state  and  condition.  When  I  see  the  prosperity  of 
others,  and  that  all  things  go  easy  with  them;  the  world  is  smooth 
to  them,  and  they  are  happy  in  many  respects,  and  very  prosper- 
ous, or  are  advanced  to  much  honour,  &c.  to  grudge  and  envy 
them,  or  be  the  least  uneasy  at  it;  to  wish  or  long  for  the  same 
prosperity,  and  that  it  would  ever  be  so  with  me.  Wherefore 
concluded  always  to  rejoice  in  every  one's  prosperity,  and  to  ex- 
pect for  myself  no  happiness  of  that  nature  as  long  as  I  live;  but 
depend  upon  afflictions,  and  betake  myself  entirely  to  another 
happiness. 

I  think  I  find  myself  much  more  sprightly  and  healthy,  both  in 
body  and  mind,  for  my  self-denial  in  eating,  drinking  and  sleep- 
ing. 

I  think  it  would  be  advantageous  every  morning  to  consider  my, 
business  and  temptations:  and  what  sins  I  shall  be  exposed  to  that 
day:  and  to  make  a  resolution  how  to  improve  the  day,  and  to 
avoid  those  sins.  And  so  at  the  beginning  of  every  week,  month, 
and  year. 

I  never  k'^  v  before  what  was  meant  by  not  setting  our  hearts 
upon  ''  '"gs.     'Tis  not  to  care  about  them,  to  depend  upon 

theh  u  afflict  ourselves  much  with  fears  of  losing  them,  nor  please 
ourselves  with  expectation  of  obtaining  them,  or  hope  of  the  con- 
tinuance of  them.     At  night  made  the  41st  Resolution. 

Saturday.,  Jan.  13.  in  the  morning.  I  have  this  day  sohnnnly 
roRpwed  my  baptisnjal  covenant  and  self-dedication,  which  I  re- 


XIV  LIFE  OF  EDWARDS. 

nevved  when  I  was  received  into  the  communion  of  the  church.  I 
have  been  before  God;  and  have  given  myself,  all  that  I  am  and 
have  to  God,  so  that  I  am  not  in  any  respect  my  own:  I  can  chal- 
lenge no  right  in  myself,  I  can  challenge  no  right  in  this  under- 
standing, this  will,  these  affections  that  are  in  me;  neither  have  I 
any  right  to  this  body,  or  any  of  its  members:  no  right  to  this 
tongue,  these  hands,  nor  feet:  no  right  to  these  senses,  these  eyes, 
these  ears,  this  smell  or  taste.  I  have  given  myself  clear  away, 
and  have  not  retained  any  thing  as  my  own.  I  have  been  to  God 
this  morning,  and  told  him  that  I  gave  myself  wholly  to  him.  I 
have  given  every  power  to  him;  so  that  for  the  future  I  will  chal- 
lenge no  right  in  myself,  in  any  respect.  I  have  expressly  prom- 
ised him,  and  do  now  promise  Almighty  God,  that  by  his  grace  I 
will  not.  I  have  this  morning  told  him,  that  I  did  take  him  for 
my  whole  portion  and  felicity,  looking  on  nothing  else  as  any  part 
of  my  happiness,  nor  acting  as  if  it  were;  and  his  law  for  the  con- 
stant rule  of  my  obedience:  and  would  tight  with  all  my  might 
against  the  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil,  to  the  end  of  my  life. 
And  did  believe  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  receive  him  as  a  prince  and 
a  saviour;  and  would  adhere  to  the  faith  and  obedience  of  the 
gospel,  how  hazardous  and  difficult  soever  the  profession  and  prac- 
tice of  it  may  be.  That  I  did  receive  the  blessed  Spirit  as  my 
teacher,  sanctitier,  and  only  comforter;  and  cherish  all  his  motions 
to  enlighten,  purify,  confirm,  comfort,  and  assist  me.  This  I  have 
done.  And  I  pray  God,  for  the  sake  of  Christ,  to  look  upon  it  as 
a  self-dedication;  and  to  receive  me  now  as  entirely  his  own,  and 
deal  with  me  in  all  respects  as  such;  whether  he  afilicts  me  or 
prospei-s  me,  or  whatever  he  pleases  to  do  with  me,  who  am  his. 
Now,  henceforth  I  am  not  to  act  in  any  respect  as  my  own. — I 
shall  act  as  my  own,  if  I  ever  make  use  of  any  of  my  powers  to 
any  thing  that  is  not  to  the  glory  of  God,  and  do  not  make  the 
glorifying  him  my  whole  and  entire  business;  if  I  murmur  in  the 
least  at  afflictions;  if  I  grieve  at  the  prosperity  of  others;  if  I  am 
any  way  uncharitable;  if  I  am  angry  because  of  injuries;  if  I  re- 
venge; if  I  do  any  thing,  purely  to  please  myself,  or  if  I  avoid  any 
thing  for  the  sake  of  my  ease,  if  I  omit  any  thing  because  it  is 
great  self-denial;  if  I  trust  to  myself;  if  I  take  any  of  the  praise  of 
any  good  that  I  do,  or  rather  God  does  by  me;  or  if  I  am  any 
way  proud. 

This  day  made  the  42d  and  43d  Resolutions. 

JMonday^  Jan.  14.  The  dedication  I  made  of  myself  to  my 
God,  on  Saturday  last,  has  been  exceeding  useful  to  me.  I  thought 
1  had  a  more  spiritual  insight  into  the  scripture,  reading  the  8th 
chapter  to  the  Romans,  than  ever  in  my  life  before. 

Great  instances  of  mortification  are  deep  wounds  given  to  the 


LIFE  OF  EDWARDS.  XV 

bodv  of  sin,  hard  blows  that  make  him  stagger  and  reel:  we  there- 
by get  great  ground  and  footing  against  him, — While  we  live  with- 
out great  instances  of  mortitication  and  self-denial,  the  old  man 
keeps  whereabouts  he  was;  for  he  is  sturdy  and  obstinate,  and  will 
not  stir  for  small  blows.  After  the  greatest  mortifications,  I  always 
find  the  greatest  comfort. 

Supposing  there  was  never  but  one  complete  Christian,  in  all 
respects,  of  a  right  stamp,  having  Christianity  shining  in  its  true 
lustre,  at  a  time  in  the  world;  resolved  to  act  just  as  I  would  do 
if  I  strove  with  all  my  might  to  be  that  one,  that  should  be  in  my 
time. 

Tuesday^  Jan.  15.  It  seemed  yesterday,  the  day  before,  and 
Saturday,  that  I  should  always  retain  the  same  resolutions  to  the 
same  height;  but  alas!  how  soon  do  I  decay!  0,  how  weak,  how 
infirm,  how  unable  to  do  any  thing  am  I!  What  a  poor,  inconsist- 
ent, what  a  miserable  wretch,  without  the  assistance  of  God's 
Spirit!  While  I  stand,  I  am  ready  to  think  I  stand  in  my  own 
strength,  and  upon  my  own  legs;  and  I  am  ready  to  triumph  over 
my  enemies,  as  if  it  were  I  myself  that  caused  them  to  flee;  when 
alas!  I  am  but  a  poor  infant,  upheld  by  Jesus  Christ;  who  holds 
me  up,  and  gives  me  liberty  to  smile  to  see  my  enemies  flee,  when 
lie  drives  them  before  me;  and  so  I  laugh,  as  though  I  myself  did 
it,  when  it  is  only  Jesus  Christ  that  leads  me  along,  and  fights 
himself  against  my  enemies.  And  now  the  Lord  has  a  little  left 
me,  and  how  weak  do  I  find  myself!  0!  let  it  teach  me  to  depend 
less  on  myself,  to  be  more  humble,  and  to  give  more  of  the  praise 
of  my  ability  to  Jesus  Christ.  The  heart  of  man  is  deceitful  above 
all  things,  and  desperately  wicked,  who  can  know  it? 

Saturday,  Feb.  16.  1  do  certainly  know  that  I  love  holiness, 
such  as  the  gospel  requires. 

At  night.  I  have  been  negligent  for  the  month  past  in  these 
three  things;  I  have  not  been  watchful  enough  over  my  appetite 
in  eating  and  drinking;  in  rising  too  late  a-mornings;  and  in  not 
applying  myself  with  application  enough  to  the  duty  of  secret 
prayer. 

Sabbath-day,  Feb,  17.  near  sun-set.  Renewedly  promised,  that 
I  will  accept  of  God,  for  my  whole  portion;  and  that  I  will  be 
contented,  whatever  else  I  am  denied.  I  will  not  murmur,  nor 
be  grieved,  whatever  prosperity,  upon  any  account,  I  see  others 
enjoy,  and  I  am  denied. 

Saturday,  March  2.  O,  how  much  pleasanter  is  humility  than 
pride!  0,  that  God  would  fill  me  with  exceeding  great  humility, 
and  that  he  would  evermore  keep  me  from  all  pride!  The  plea- 
sures of  humility  are  really  the  most  refined,  inward,  and  exquisite 


XVI  LIFE  OF  EDWARDS. 

delights  in  the  world.  How  hateful  Is  a  proud  man!  How  hate- 
ful is  a  worm  that  lifts  up  itself  with  pride!  What  a  foolish,  silly, 
miserable,  blind,  deceived,  poor  worm  am  I,  when  pride  works! 

Wednesday,  March  6.  near  sun-set.  Felt  the  doctrines  of  elec- 
tion, free  grace,  and  of  our  not  being  able  to  do  any  thing  without 
the  grace  of  God;  and  that  holiness  is  entirely,  throughout,  the 
work  of  God's  S])irit,  with  more  pleasure  than  before. 

JVIonday  morning,  iHpr'd  1.  I  think  it  best  not  to  allow  myself 
to  laugh  at  the  faults,  follies,  and  infirmities  of  others. 

Saturday  night,  Jlpril  6.  This  week  I  found  myself  so  far  gone, 
that  it  seemed  to  me,  that  I  should  never  recover  more.  Let  God 
of  his  mercy  return  unto  me,  and  no  more  leave  me  thus  to  sink 
and  decay!  I  know,  O  Lord,  that  without  thy  help,  I  shall  fall 
innumerable  times,  notwithstanding  all  my  resolutions,  how  often 
soever  repeated. 

Saturday  night,  April  13.  I  could  pray  more  heartily  this  night, 
for  the  forgiveness  of  my  enemies,  than  ever  before. 

Wednesday,  May  1.  forenoon.  Last  night  I  came  home,  after 
my  melancholy  parting  from  New  York, 

I  have  always,  in  every  different  state  of  life  I  have,  hitherto 
been  in,  thought  the  troubles  and  difficulties  of  that  state  to  be 
greater  than  those  of  any  other  that  I  proposed  to  be  in;  and  when 
I  have  altered  with  assurance  of  mending  myself,  I  have  still 
thought  the  same;  yea,  that  the  difficulties  of  that  state  are  greater 
than  those  of  that  I  left  last.  Lord,  grant  that  from  hence  I  may 
learn  to  withdraw  my  thoughts,  aflections,  desires,  and  expecta- 
tions, entirely  from  the  world,  and  may  fix  them  upon  the  heavenly 
state;  where  there  is  fulness  of  joy;  where  reigns  heavenly,  sweet, 
calm,  and  delightful  love  without  alloy;  where  there  are  continually 
the  dearest  expressions  of  this  love;  where  there  is  the  enjoyment 
of  the  persons  loved,  without  ever  parting;  where  those  persons, 
who  appear  so  lovely  in  this  world,  will  really  be  inexpressibly 
more  lovely,  and  full  of  love  to  us.  How  s\veetly  will  the  mutual 
lovers  join  together  to  sing  the  praises  of  God  and  the  Lamb! 
How  full  will  it  fill  us  with  joy  to  think,  this  enjoyment,  these 
sweet  exercises,  will  never  cease  or  come  to  an  end,  but  will  last 
to  all  eternity. 

Remember,  after  journeys,  remo\  cs,  overlurnings,  and  altera- 
tions in  the  state  of  my  life,  to  refiect  and  consider,  whether  therein 
I  have  managed  the  best  way  possible,  respecting  my  soul?  and 
before  such  alterations,  if  foreseen,  to  resolve  how  to  act. 

Thursday,  May  2.  I  think  it  a  very  good  way  to  examine 
dreams  e\ery  morning  Avhen  I  awake,  what  are  the  nature,  cir- 
cumstances, principles,  and  ends  of  my  imaginaiy  actions  and 
passions  in  them,  to  discern  what  are  niv  chief  inclinations,  &c. 


LIFE  OF  EDWARDS.  XVll 

Saturday  nighty  May  4.  Although  I  have  in  some  measure 
subdued  a  disposition  to  chide  and  fret,  yet  I  find  a  certain  incli- 
nation, which  is  not  agreeable  to  christian  sweetness  of  temper 
and  conversation:  cither  by  too  much  dogmaticalness,  too  much 
of  the  egotism;  a  disposition  to  be  telling  of  my  own  dislike  and 
scorn,  and  freedom  from  those  that  are  innocent,  yea  common  in- 
firmities of  men,  and  many  other  such  like  things.  O  that  God 
Avould  help  me  to  discern  all  the  flaws  and  defects  of  my  temper 
and  conversation,  and  help  me  in  the  difficult  work  of  amending 
them;  and  that  he  would  lill  me  so  full  of  Christianity,  that  the 
foundation  of  all  these  disagreeable  irregularities  may  be  destroy- 
ed, and  the  contrary  sweetnesses  and  beauties  may  of  themselves 
naturally  follow. 

Sabbath-day^  May  5,  in  the  morning.  This  day  made  the  47th 
Resolution. 

Sabbath-day,  May  12.  I  think  I  find  in  ray  heart  to  be  glad 
for  the  hopes  I  have,  that  my  eternity  is  to  be  spent  in  spiritual 
and  holy  joys,  arising  from  the  manifestation  of  God's  love,  and 
the  exercise  of  holiness  and  a  burning  love  to  him. 

Saturday  night,  May  18.  I  now  plainly  perceive  what  great 
obligations  I  am  under  to  love  and  honour  my  parents.  I  have 
great  reason  to  believe  that  their  counsel  and  education  have  been 
my  making;  notwithstanding,  in  the  time  of  it,  it  seemed  to  do 
me  so  little  good.  I  have  good  reason  to  hope  that  their  prayers 
for  me  have  been  in  many  things  very  powerful  and  prevalent; 
that  God  has  in  many  things  taken  me  under  his  care  and  guid- 
ance, provision  and  direction,  in  answer  to  their  prayers  for  me. 
I  was  never  made  so  sensible  of  it  as  now. 

Wednesday,  May  22,  in  the  morning.  Memorandum.  To  take 
special  care  of  these  following  things:  evil  speaking,  fretting,  eat- 
ing, drinking  and  sleeping,  speaking  simple  verity,  joining  in 
prayer,  slightiness  in  secret  prayer,  listlessness  and  negligence, 
and  thoughts  that  cherish  sin. 

Saturday,  May  25,  in  the  morning.  As  I  was  this  morning 
reading  the  17th  Resolution,  it  was  suggested  to  me,  that  if  I  was 
now  to  die,  I  should  wish  that  I  had  prayed  more  that  God  would 
make  me  knoAV  my  state,  whether  it  be  good  or  bad;  and  that  I 
had  taken  more  pains  to  see,  and  narrowly  search  into  this  mat- 
ter. Wherefore,  mem.  for  the  future  most  nicely  and  diligently 
to  look  into  our  old  divines'  opinions  concerning  conversion.  Made 
the  48th  Resolution. 

Friday,  .Time  1.  Afternoon,  I  have  abundant  cause,  0  my 
merciful  Father,  to  love  thee  ardently,  and  greatly  to  bless  and 
praise  thee,  that  thou  hast  heard  me  in  my  earnest  request,  and 


XVUI  LIFE  OF  EDWARDS. 

hast  SO  answered  my  prayer  for  mercy  to  keep  from  decay  and 
sinking.  O,  graciously,  of  thy  mere  goodness,  still  continue  to 
pity  my  misery,  by  reason  of  my  sinfulness.  0,  my  Redeemer,  I 
commit  myself,  together  with  my  prayer  and  thanksgiving  into 
thine  hand. 

nMonday^July  1.  Again  confirmed  by  experience  of  the  hap- 
py effects  of  strict  temperance,  with  respect  both  to  body  and 
mind.  Resolved  for  the  future  to  observe  rather  more  of  meek- 
ness, moderation  and  temper  in  disputes. 

Thursday,  Jidy  18,  near  sun-set.  Resolved  to  endeavour  to 
make  sure  of  that  sign  the  apostle  James  gives  of  a  perfect  man, 
Jam.  iii.  2,  If  any  man  offend  not  in  word,  the  same  is  a  perfect 
man,  and  able  also  to  bridle  the  whole  body. 

Monday,  July  22.  I  see  there  is  danger  of  my  being  drawn 
into  transgression,  by  the  power  of  such  temptations  as  fear  of 
seeming  uncivil,  and  of  offending  friends.     Watch  against  it. 

Tuesday,  July  23.  When  I  find  those  groanings  which  can 
not  be  uttered,  the  apostle  speaks  of;  and  those  soul-breakings  for 
the  longing  it  hath,  the  psalmist  speaks  of,  Psal.  cxix.  20,  to  hu- 
mour and  promote  them  to  the  utmost  in  my  power,  and  be  not 
weary  of  earnestly  endeavouring  to  vent  my  desires. 

To  count  it  all  joy  when  I  have  occasion  of  great  self-denial, 
because  then  I  have  a  glorious  opportunity  of  giving  deadly  wounds 
to  the  body  of  sin,  and  greatly  confirming  and  establishing  the 
new  nature:  to  seek  to  mortify  sin,  and  increase  in  holiness:  these 
are  the  best  opportunities,  according  to  January  14. 

To  improve  afflictions  of  all  kinds  as  blessed  opportunities  of 
forcibly  bearing  on  in  my  christian  course,  notwithstanding  that 
which  is  so  very  apt  to  discourage  me,  and  to  damp  the  vigour  of 
my  mind,  and  to  make  me  lifeless;  also  as  opportunities  of  trust- 
ing and  confiding  in  God,  and  getting  a  habit  of  that,  according  to 
the  57th  resolution.  As  an  opportunity  of  rending  my  heart 
off  from  the  world,  and  setting  it  upon  heaven  alone.  To  improve 
them  as  opportunities  to  repent  of,  and  bewail  my  sin,  and  abhor 
myself;  and  as  a  blessed  opportunity  to  exercise  patience;  to  trust 
in  God,  and  divert  my  mind  from  the  affliction,  by  fixing  myself 
in  religious  exercises.  Also,  let  me  comfort  myself,  that  it  is  the 
very  nature  of  afflictions  to  make  the  heart  better;  and  if  I  am 
made  better  by  them,  what  need  I  be  concerned,  however  griev- 
ious  they  seem  for  the  present? 

Friday  afternoon,  July  26.  To  be  particularly  careful  to  keep 
up  inviolable,  a  trust  and  reliance,  ease  and  entire  rest  in  God, 
in  all  conditions,  according  to  57th  Resolution;  for  this  I  have 
found  to  be  wonderfully  advantageous  to  me. 


LIFE  OF  EDWARDS.  XIX 

Mondmj^  July  29.  When  I  am  concerned  how  I  shall  perform 
any  thing  to  public  acceptance,  to  be  very  careful  that  I  have  it 
very  clear  to  me,  that  I  do  what  is  duty  and  prudence  in  the 
matter, 

Wednesday^  July  31.  Never  in  the  least  to  seek  to  hear  sar- 
castical  relations  of  others'  faults.  Never  to  give  credit  to  any 
thing  said  against  others,  except  there  is  very  plain  reason  for  it; 
nor  to  behave  in  any  respect  the  otherwise  for  it. 

Wednesday^  Aug.  7.  To  esteem  as  some  advantage,  that  the 
duties  of  religion  are  difficult,  and  that  many  difficulties  are 
sometimes  to  be  gone  through  in  the  way  of  duty.  Religion  is 
the  sweeter;  and  what  is  gained  by  labour  is  abundantly  more 
precious;  as  a  woman  loves  her  child  the  better  for  having 
brought  it  forth  with  travail.  And  even  to  Christ  Jesus  himself 
bis  mediatorial  glory,  his  victory  and  triumph,  his  kingdom  which 
he  hath  obtained;  how  much  more  glorious  is  it,  how  much  more 
excellent  and  precious,  for  his  having  wrought  it  out  by  such  ago- 
nies! 

Friday^  Aug.  9.  One  thing  may  be  a  good  help  towards  think- 
ing profitably  in  time  of  vacation  is,  when  I  light  on  a  profitable 
thought  that  I  can  fix  my  mind  on,  to  follow  it  as  far  as  possiblj 
I  can  to  advantage. 

Sabbath-day.,  after  meeting,  Aug.  11.  Resolved  always  to  do 
that  which  I  shall  wish  I  had  done  when  I  see  others  do  it.  As 
for  instance,  sometimes  I  argue  with  myself,  that  such  an  act  of 
good  nature,  kindness,  forbearance,  or  forgiveness,  &,c.  is  not  my 
duty,  because  it  will  have  such  and  such  consequences;  yet  when 
I  see  others  do  it,  then  it  appears  amiable  to  me,  and  I  wish  I  had 
done  it;  and  I  see  that  none  of  those  feared  inconveniencies  fol- 
low, 

Tuesday,  Aug,  13.  !  find  it  would  be  very  much  to  advantage 
to  be  thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  scriptures.  When  I  am 
reading  doctrinal  books,  or  books  of  controversy,  I  can  proceed 
with  abundantly  more  confidence;  can  see  upon  what  footing  and 
foundation  I  stand. 

Thursday,  Aug.  29.  The  objection  my  corruptions  make 
against  doing  whatever  my  hand  finds  to  do  with  my  might  is  that 
it  is  a  constant  mortification.  Let  this  objection  by  no  means 
ever  prevail. 

Monday,  Sept.  2.  There  is  much  folly,  when  I  am  quite  sure 
I  am  in  the  right,  and  others  are  positive  in  contradicting  me,  to 
enter  into  a  vehement  or  long  debate  upon  it. 

Monday,  Sept.  23.  I  observe  that  old  men  seldom  have  any 
advantage  of  new  discoveries;  because  thev  are  beside  a  way  of 


1/ 


XX  Lll'L  OF  EDV/ARDfj. 

thinking,  they  have  been  so  long  used  to.     Resolved,  if  ever 
live  to  3'ears,  that  I  will  be  impartial  to  hear  the  reasons  of  all 
pretended  discoveries,  and  receive  them,  if  rational,  how  long 
soever  I  have  been  used  to  another  way  of  thinking. 

Thursday,  Oct.  18.     To  follow  the  exan)ple  of  Mr,  B , 

who,  though  he  meets  with  great  difficulties,  yet  undertakes  them 
with  a  smiling  countenance,  as  though  he  thought  them  but  little; 
and  speaks  of  them  as  if  they  were  very  small. 

Thursday,  JVov.  26.  It  is  a  most  evil  and  pernicious  practice 
in  meditations  or  afflictions,  to  sit  ruminating  on  the  aggravations 
of  the  affliction,  and  reckoning  up  the  evil,  dark  circumstances 
thereof,  and  dwelling  long  on  the  dark  side;  it  doubles  and  trebles 
the  affliction.  And  so  when  speaking  of  them  together,  to  make 
them  as  bad  as  we  can,  and  use  our  eloquence  to  set  forth  our  o^vn 
troubles,  and  are  all  the  while  making  new  trouble,  and  feeding 
and  pampering  the  old;  whereas  the  contrary  practice  would  starve 
our  afflictions.  If  we  dwelt  on  the  light  side  of  things  in  our 
thoughts,  and  extenuated  them  all  that  possibly  we  could,  when 
speaking  of  them,  we  should  think  little  of  them  ourselves;  and 
the  affliction  would  really,  in  a  great  measure,  vanish  away. 

Thursday  night,  Dec.  12.  If  at  any  time  I  am  forced  to  tell 
others  of  that  wdierein  I  think  they  are  something  to  blame:  for 
the  avoiding  the  important  evil  that  would  otherwise  ensue,  not 
to  tell  it  to  them,  so  that  there  shall  be  a  probability  of  their  taking 
it  as  the  effect  of  little  fretting,  angry  emotions  of  mind. 

Dec.  31.  at  night.  Concluded  never  to  suffer  nor  express  any 
angry  emotions  of  mind  more  or  less  except  the  honour  of  God 
calls  for  it,  in  zeal  for  him,  or  to  preserve  myself  from  being  tram- 
pled on. 

Wednesday,  Jan.  1,  1523-4.  Not  to  spend  too  much  time  in 
thinking  even  of  important  and  necessary  worldly  business.  To 
allow  every  thing  its  proportion  of  thought,  according  to  its  urgency 
and  importance.  / 

Friday,  Jan.  10.  [After  having  wrote  considerable  in  a  short- 
hand, which  he  used  when  he  would  have  what  he  wrote  effectu- 
ally concealed  from  every  body  but  himself,  he  notes  the  follow- 
ing words  in  round  hand],  remember  to  act  according  to  Prov. 
xii.  23,  "  A  prudent  man  concealetb  knowledge." 

Monday,  Feb.  3.  Let  every  thing  have  the  value  now,  that 
it  will  have  on  a  sick-bed:  and  frequently  in  my  pursuits  of  what- 
ever kind,  let  this  come  into  my  mind;  "  how  much  shall  I  value 
this  on  my  death-bed?" 

Wednesday,  Feb.  5.  Have  not  in  time  past,  in  my  prayers, 
enough  insisted  upon  the  glorifying  God  in  the  world,  and  the  ad- 


LIFE  OF  EDWARDS.  XXl 

vancement  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ,  the  prosperity  of  the  church, 
and  the  good  of  men.  Determined  that  this  objection  is  without 
weight,  viz.  that  it  is  not  hkely  that  God  will  make  great  altera- 
tions in  the  whole  world,  and  overturnings  in  kingdoms  and  na- 
tions, only  for  the  prayers  of  one  obscure  person,  seeing  such  things 
used  to  be  done  in  answer  to  the  united,  earnest  prayers  of  the 
whole  church:  and  if  my  prayers  should  have  some  intluence,  it 
would  be  but  imperceptible  and  small. 

Thursday^  Feb.  6.  More  convinced  than  ever  of  the  useful- 
ness of  a  free  religious  conversation.  I  fnul  by  conversing  on 
natural  philosophy,  I  gain  knowledge  abundance  faster,  and  see  the 
reasons  of  things  much  clearer  than  in  private  study.  Wherefore 
earnestly  to  seek  at  all  times  for  religious  conversation;  ibr  those 
that  I  can  Avith  profit  and  delight,  and  freedom  so  converse  with. 

Sabbath-day,  Feb.  23.  If  I  act  according  to  my  resolution,  I 
shall  desire  riches  no  otherwise  than  as  they  are  helpful  to  reli- 
gion. But  this  I  determine,  as  what  is  really  evident  from  many 
parts  of  scripture,  that  to  fallen  man  they  have  a  greater  tendency 
to  hurt  religion. 

Saturday,  May  23.  How  it  comes  about  I  know  not;  but  I 
have  remarked  it  hitherto,  that  at  those  times  when  I  have  read 
the  scripture  most,  I  have  evermore  been  most  lively,  and  in  the 
best  frame. 

Saturday  night,  June  6.  This  week  has  been  a  remarkable 
week  with  me  with  respect  to  despondencies,  fears,  perplexities, 
multitudes  of  cares,  and  distraction  of  mind;  being  the  week  I 
came  hither  to  New  Haven,  in  order  to  entrance  upon  the  office 
of  tutor  of  the  college.  I  have  now  abundant  reason  to  be  con- 
vinced of  the  troublesomeness  and  vexation  of  the  world,  and  that 
it  never  will  be  another  kind  of  world. 

Tuesday,  July  7.  When  I  am  giving  the  relation  of  a  thing, 
to  abstain  from  altering  either  in  the  matter  or  manner  of  speak- 
ing, so  much,  as  that  if  every  one  afterward  should  alter  as  much, 
it  would  at  last  come  to  be  properly  false. 

Tuesday,  Sept.  2.  By  a  sparingness  in  diet,  and  eating,  as 
much  as  may  be,  what  is  light  and  easy  of  digestion,  I  shall  doubt- 
less be  able  to  think  clearer,  and  shall  gain  time.  1.  By  length- 
ening out  my  life.  2.  Shall  need  less  time  for  digestion  after 
meals.  3.  Shall  be  able  to  study  closer  without  wrong  to  my 
health.  4.  Shall  need  less  time  to  sleep.  5.  Shall  seldom  be 
troubled  with  the  head-ache. 

Sabbath-day,  JVbr.  22.     Considering  that  by-standers  always 
espy  some  faults  which  we  do  not  see  ourselves,  or  at  least  are  not 
so  fullv  sensible  of:  there  are  manv  secret  workings  of  corruption 
'3 


XXll  LIFE  OF  EDWARDS. 

which  escape  our  sight,  and  others  only  are  sensible  of:  resolved 
therefore,  that  I  will,  if  I  can  by  any  convenient  means,  learn 
what  faults  others  find  in  me,  or  what  things  they  see  in  me,  that 
appear  any  way  blame-worthy,  unlovely,  or  unbecoming. 

The  foregoing  extracts  were  wrote  by  Mr.  Edwards  in  the 
twentieth  and  twenty-first  years  of  his  age,  as  appears  by  the  dates. 
This  being  kept  in  mind,  the  judicious  reader  will  make  proper 
allowance  for  some  things,  which  may  appear  a  little  juvenile,  or 
like  a  young  Christian,  as  to  matter  or  manner  of  expression; 
which  would  not  have  been  found,  had  it  not  tl9#  been  done  in 
early  life.  Which,  indeed  are  no  blemishes,  the  whole  being 
taken  together:  as  by  this  it  appears  more  natural,  and  the  strength 
of  his  resolution  and  fervour  of  mind;  and  his  skill  and  discerning 
in  divine  things,  so  seldom  found  even  in  old  age,  are  the  more 
striking.  And  in  this  view,  we  shall  be  led  to  admire  his  consci- 
entious strictness,  his  zeal  and  painfulness,  his  experience  and 
judgment  in  true  religion,  at  so  early  an  age.  For  here  are  not 
only  the  most  convincing  evidences  of  sincerity  and  thorough  re- 
ligion, of  his  engaging  in  a  life  devoted  to  God  in  good  earnest,  so 
as  to  make  religion  his  only  business;  but  through  his  great  atten- 
tion to  this  matter,  he  appears  to  have  the  judgment  and  experi- 
ence of  gray  hairs. 

This  is  the  beginning  of  a  life  so  eminently  holy  and  useful  as 
Mr.  Edwards's  was.  He  who  became  one  of  the  greatest  divines 
in  this  age,  has  had  the  applause  and  admiration  of  America, 
Britain,  Holland,  and  Germany,  for  his  piety,  and  great  judgment 
and  skill  in  divinity;  and  has  been  honoured  above  most  others 
in  the  christian  world  in  this  century,  in  his  being  made  the  instru- 
ment of  doing  so  much  good:  he  began  his  life  thus:  he  entered 
on  a  public  life  with  such  views,  such  exercises,  such  resolutions. 


AN  ACCOUNT  OP  HIS  CONVERSION,  EXPERIENCES,  AND  RELIGIOUS 
EXERCISES,  GIVEN  BY  HIMSELF. 

I  had  a  variety  of  concerns  and  exercises  about  my  soul  from 
my  childhood;  but  had  two  more  remarkable  seasons  of  awak- 
ening before  I  met  with  that  change  by  which  I  was  brought  to 
those  new  dispositions,  and  that  new  sense  of  things  that  I  have 
since  had.  The  first  time  was  when  I  was  a  boy,  some  years  be- 
fore I  went  to  college,  at  a  time  of  remarkable  awakening  in  my 
father's  congregation.  I  was  then  very  much  affected  for  many 
months,  and  concerned  about  the  things  of  religion,  and  mv  soul's 


LIFE  OF    EDWARDS.  XXlll 

salvation;  and  was  abundant  in  duties.  I  used  to  pray  five 
times  a  day  in  secret,  and  to  spend  mudi  time  in  religious  talk 
with  other  boys,  and  used  to  meet  nith  them  to  pray  together.  I 
experienced  I  knew  not  what  kind  of  delight  in  religion.  My 
mind  was  much  engaged  in  it,  and  had  much  self-righteous  plea- 
sure, and  it  was  my  delight  to  abound  in  religious  duties.  I,  with 
some  of  my  school-mates  joined  together,  and  built  a  booth  in  a 
swamp,  in  a  very  secret  and  retired  place,  for  a  place  of  prayer. 
And  besides,  I  had  particular  secret  places  of  my  own  in  the  woods, 
where  I  used  to  retire  by  myself;  and  used  to  be  from  time  to 
time  much  affected.  My  affections  seemed  to  be  lively  and  easily 
moved,  and  I  seemed  to  be  in  my  element  when  I  engaged  in  re- 
ligious duties.  And  I  am  ready  to  think,  many  are  deceived  with  , 
such  affections,  and  such  a  kind  of  delight,  as  I  then  had  in  reli-  j 
gion,  and  mistake  it  for  grace.  j 

"  But  in  process  of  time,  my  convictions  and  affections  wore  ^ 
off,  and  I  entirely  lost  all  those  affections  and  delights,  and  left  off 
secret  prayer,  at  least  as  to  any  constant  performance  of  it,  and    • 
returned  like  a  dog  to  his  vomit,  and  went  on  in  ways  of  sin.         ^ 

"  Indeed  I  was  at  some  time  very  uneasy,  especially  towards 
the  latter  part  of  the  time  of  my  being  at  college,  till  it  pleased 
God,  in  my  last  year  at  college,  at  a  time  when  I  was  in  the  midst 
of  many  uneasy  thoughts  about  the  state  of  my  soul,  to  seize  me 
with  a  pleurisy,  in  which  He  brought  me  nigh  to  the  grave,  and 
shook  me  over  the  pit  of  hell. 

"  But  yet  it  was  not  long  after  my  recovery,  before  I  fell  again 
into  my  old  ways  of  sin.  But  God  would  not  suffer  me  to  go  on 
with  any  quietness,  but  I  had  great  and  violent  inward  struggles; 
until  after  many  conflicts  with  wicked  inclinations,  and  repeated 
resolutions,  and  bonds  that  I  laid  myself  under  by  a  kind  of  vows  to 
God,  I  was  brought  wholly  to  break  off  all  former  wicked  ways,  and 
all  ways  of  known  and  outward  sin,  and  to  apply  myself  to  seek  my 
salvation,  and  practise  the  duties  of  religion;  but  without  that  kind 
of  affection  and  delight  that  I  had  formerly  experienced.  My 
concern  now  wrought  more  by  iuAvard  struggles  and  conflicts,  and 
self-reflectio'js.  I  made  seeking  my  salvation  the  main  business 
of  my  life.  But  yet  it  seems  to  me,  I  sought  after  a  miserable 
manner,  which  has  made  me  sometimes  since  to  question,  whe- 
ther ever  it  issued  in  that  which  was  saving;  being  ready  to 
doubt  whether  such  miserable  seeking  was  ever  succeeded.  But 
yet  I  was  brought  to  seek  salvation  in  a  manner  that  I  never  was 
before,  I  felt  a  spirit  to  part  with  all  things  in  the  world  for  an 
interest  in  Christ.  My  concern  continued  and  prevailed,  with 
many  exercising  thoughts  and  inward  struggles;  but  yet  it  nevei* 


X&IV  tiFE  OF  EDWARDS. 

seemed  to  be  proper  to  express  mj  concern  that  I  had  by  the 
name  of  terror. 

"  From  my  childhood  up,  my  mind  had  been  wont  to  be  full  of 
objections  against  the  doctrine  of  God's  sovereignty,  in  choosing 
whom  he  would  to  eternal  life,  and  rejecting  whom  he  pleased, 
leaving  them  eternally  to  perish,  and  he  everlastingly  tormented 
in  hell.  It  used  to  appear  like  a  horrible  doctrine  to  me.  But  I 
remember  the  time  very  well  when  I  seemed  to  be  convinced  and 
fully  satisfied  as  to  this  sovereignty  of  God,  and  his  justice  in  thus 
eternally  disposing  of  men,  according  to  his  sovereign  pleasure. 
But,  never  could  give  an  account,  how,  or  by  what  means,  I  was 
thus  convinced;  not  in  the  least  imagining,  in  the  time  of  it,  nor  a 
long  time  after,  that  there  was  any  extraordinary  influence  of 
God's  Spirit  in  it;  but  only  that  now  I  saw  further,  and  my  rea* 
son  apprehended  the  justice  and  reasonableness  of  it.  However 
my  mind  rested  in  it,  and  it  put  an  end  to  all  those  cavils  and  ob- 
jections that  had  till  then  abode  with  me  all  the  preceding  part 
of  my  life.  And  there  has  been  a  wonderful  alteration  in  my 
mind,  with  respect  to  the  doctrine  of  God's  sovereignty,  from 
that  day  to  this,  so  that  I  scarce  ever  have  found  so  much  as  the 
rising  of  an  objection  against  God's  sovereignty  in  the  most  abso- 
lute sense,  in  showing  mercy  to  whom  he  will  show  mercy,  and 
hardening  and  eternally  danniing  whom  he  will.  God's  absolute 
sovereignty  and  justice,  with  respect  to  salvation  and  damnation, 
is  what  my  mind  seems  to  rest  assured  of,  as  much  as  of  any 
thing  that  I  see  with  my  eyes;  at  least  it  is  so  at  times. 

••'  The  first  that  I  remember  that  ever  I  found  any  thing  of 
that  sort  of  inward,  sweet  delight  in  God  and  divine  things,  that 
I  have  lived  much  in  since,  was  on  reading  those  words,  1  Tim. 
i.  17.  JVoio  unto  the  King  eternal^  immortal^  invisible,  the  only  xcise 
God,  be  honour  and  glory  for  ever,  and  ever,  Amen.  As  1  read 
the  words,  there  came  into  my  soul,  and  was  as  it  were  diffused 
through  it,  a  sense  of  the  glory  of  the  Divine  Being,  a  new  sense, 
quite  different  from  any  thing  I  ever  experienced  before.  Never 
any  words  of  scripture  seemed  to  me  as  these  words  did.  I  thought 
with  myself,  how  excellent  a  Being  that  was,  and  how  happy  I 
should  be  if  I  might  enjoy  that  God,  and  be  wrapt  up  to  God  in 
heaven,  and  be  as  it  were  swallowed  up  in  him.  I  kept  saying, 
and  as  it  were  singing  over  these  words  of  scripture  to  myself; 
and  went  to  prayer,  to  pray  to  God  that  I  might  enjoy  him,  and 
prayed  in  a  manner  quite  different  from  what  I  used  to  do,  with 
a  new  sort  of  affection.  But  it  never  came  into  my  thought,  that 
there  was  any  thing  spiritual,  or  of  a  saving  nature  in  this. 

"  From  about  that  time,  I  began  to  have  a  new  kind  of  appre- 
hensions and  ideas  of  Christ,  and  the  work  of  redemption,  and 


LIFE    OP    EDWARDS.  XXV 

the  glorious  way  of  salvation  by  him.  I  had  an  inward,  sweet 
sense  of  these  things,  that  at  times  came  into  my  heart;  and  my 
soul  was  led  away  in  pleasant  views  and  contemplations  of  them. 
And  my  mind  was  greatly  engaged  to  spend  my  time  in  reading 
and  meditating  on  Christ,  and  the  beauty  and  excellency  of  his 
person,  and  the  lovely  way  of  salvation  by  free  grace  in  him.  I 
found  no  books  so  delightful  to  me  as  those  that  treated  of  these 
subjects.  Those  words,  Cant.  ii.  1,  used  to  be  abundantly  with 
me,  /  am  the  Rose  of  Sharon^  and  the  Lily  of  the  valleys.  The 
words  seemed  to  me,  sweetly  to  represent  the  loveliness  and  beau- 
ty of  Jesus  Christ.  And  the  whole  book  of  Canticles  used  to  be 
pleasant  to  me;  and  I  used  to  be  much  in  reading  it  about  that 
time;  and  found,  from  time  to  time,  an  inward  sweetness,  that 
used,  as  it  were,  to  carry  me  away  in  my  contemplations;  in  what 
I  know  not  how  to  express  otherwise,  than  by  a  calm,  sweet  ab- 
straction of  soul  from  all  the  concerns  of  this  world;  and  a  kind 
of  vision,  or  fixed  ideas  and  imaginations,  of  being  alone  in  the 
mountains,  or  some  solitary  wilderness,  far  from  all  mankind, 
sweetly  conversing  with  Christ,  and  wrapt  and  swallowed  up  in 
God.  The  sense  I  had  of  divine  things,  would  often  of  a  sudden, 
as  it  were,  kindle  up  a  sweet  burning  in  my  heart;  an  ardour  of 
my  soul,  that  I  know  not  how  to  express. 

"  Not  long  after  I  first  began  to  experience  these  things,  I  gave 
an  account  to  my  father  of  some  things  that  had  passed  in  my 
mind.  I  was  pretty  much  affected  by  the  discourse  we  had  toge- 
ther; and  when  the  discourse  was  ended,  I  walked  abroad  alone, 
in  a  solitary  place  in  my  father's  pasture,  for  contemplation. 
And  as  I  was  walking  there,  and  looked  up  on  the  sky  and 
clouds,  there  came  into  my  mind,  so  sweet  a  sense  of  the  glo- 
rious majesty  and  grace  of  God,  that  I  know  not  how  to  express, 
I  seemed  to  see  them  both  in  a  sweet  conjunction;  majesty  and 
meekness  joined  together:  it  was  a  sweet  and  gentle,  and  holy 
majesty;  and  also  a  majestic  meekness;  an  awful  sweetness;  a 
high,  and  great,  and  holy  gentleness. 

"After  this  my  sense  of  divine  things  gradually  increased,  and 
became  more  and  more  lively,  and  had  more  of  that  inward 
sweetness.  The  appearance  of  every  thing  was  altered,  there 
seemed  to  be,  as  it  were,  a  calm,  sweet  cast,  or  appearance  of 
divine  glory,  in  almost  every  thing.  God's  excellency,  his  wis- 
dom, his  purity  and  love,  seemed  to  appear  in  every  thing;  in  the 
sun,  moon,  and  stars;  in  the  clouds,  and  blue  sky;  in  the  grass, 
flowers,  trees;  in  the  water,  and  all  nature;  which  used  greatly 
to  fix  my  mind,  I  often  used  to  sit  and  view  the  moon  for  a  long 
time;  and  so  in  the  day-lime,  spent  much  time  in  viewing  the 
clouds  and  sky,  to  behold  the  sweet  glory  of  God  in  these  things; 


XXVI  LIFE    OF    EDWARDS. 

in  the  mean  time  singing  forth,  with  a  low  voice,  my  contempla- 
tions of  the  Creator  and  Redeemer.  And  scarce  any  thing,  among 
all  the  works  of  nature,  was  so  sweet  to  me  as  thunder  and  light- 
ning: formerly,  nothing  had  been  so  terrible  to  me.  I  used  to  be 
a  person  uncommonly  terrified  with  thunder,  and  it  used  to  strike 
me  with  terror  when  I  saw  a  thunder-storm  rising.  But  now,  on 
the  contrary,  it  rejoiced  me.  I  felt  God  at  the  first  appearance 
of  a  thunder-storm;  and  used  to  take  the  opportunity,  at  guch 
times,  to  fix  myself  to  view  the  clouds,  and  see  the  lightnings 
play,  and  hear  the  majestic  and  awful  voice  of  God's  thunder, 
which  often  times  was  exceeding  entertaining,  leading  me  to 
sweet  contemplations  of  my  great  and  glorious  God;  and  while 
I  viewed,  used  to  spend  my  time,  as  it  always  seemed  natural  to 
me,  to  sing  or  chant  forth  my  meditations;  to  speak  my  thoughts 
in  soliloquies,  and  speak  with  a  singing  voice. 

"  I  felt  then  a  great  satisfaction  as  to  my  good  estate;  but  that 
did  not  content  me.  I  had  vehement  longings  of  soul  after  God 
and  Christ,  and  after  more  holiness,  wherewith  my  heart  seemed 
to  be  full,  and  ready  to  break;  which  often  brought  to  my  mind 
the  words  of  the  Psalmist,  Psal.  cxix.  28.  My  soul  breaketh  for 
the  longing-it  hath.  I  often  felt  a  mourning  and  lamenting  in  my 
heart,  that  I  had  not  turned  to  God  sooner,  that  I  might  have  had 
more  time  to  grow  in  grace.  My  mind  was  greatly  fixed  on  di- 
vine things;  I  was  almost  perpetually  in  the  contemplation  of 
them.  Spent  most  of  my  time  in  thinking  of  divine  things,  year 
after  year;  and  used  to  spend  abundance  of  my  time  in  walking 
alone  in  the  woods,  and  solitary  places,  for  meditation,  soliloquy, 
and  prayer,  and  converse  with  God:  and  it  was  always  my  man- 
ner, at  such  times,  to  sing  forth  my  contemplations;  and  was  al- 
most constantly  in  ejaculatory  prayer  wherever  1  was.  Prayer 
seemed  to  be  natural  to  me,  as  the  breath  by  which  the  inward 
burnings  of  my  heart  had  vent. 

"  My  sense  of  divine  things  seemed  gradually  to  increase,  until 
I  went  to  preach  at  New  York,  which  was  about  a  year  and  a 
half  after  they  began.  While  I  was  there  I  sometimes  was  much 
affected  with  reflections  on  my  past  life,  considering  how  late  it 
was  before  I  began  to  be  truly  religious,  and  how  wickedly  I  had 
lived  till  then;  and  once  so  as  to  weep  abundantly,  and  for  a  con- 
siderable time  together. 

"  On  Jan.  12,  1722-3,  I  made  a  solemn  dedication  of  myself 
to  God,  and  wrote  it  down;  giving  up  myself  and  all  that  I  had 
to  God,  to  be  for  the  future  in  no  respect  my  own,  to  act  as  one 
that  had  no  right  to  himself,  in  any  respect.  And  solemnly  vowed 
to  take  God  for  my  whole  portion  and  felicity,  looking  on  nothing 
else  as  any  part  of  my  happiness,  nor  acting  as  if  it  were^  and 


LIFE   OP  EDWARDS.  XXVlt 

his  law  for  the  constant  rule  of  my  obedience;  engaging  to  fight 
with  all  my  might  against  the  world,  the  flesh,  and  the  devil,  to 
the  end  of  my  life.  But  have  reason  to  be  infinitely  humbled, 
■when  I  consider,  how  much  I  have  failed  of  answering  my  obli- 
gation. 

"  I  came  away  from  New  York  in  the  month  of  April  1723, 
and  had  a  most  bitter  parting  with  Madam  Smith  and  her  son. 
My  heart  seemed  to  sink  within  me,  at  leaving  the  family  and 
city  where  I  had  enjoyed  so  many  sweet  and  pleasant  dajs.  I 
went  from  New  York  to  Weathersfield  by  water.  As  I  sailed 
away,  I  kept  sight  of  the  city  as  long  as  I  could;  and  when  I  was 
out  of  sight  of  it,  it  would  affect  me  much  to  look  that  way,  with 
a  kind  of  melancholy  mixed  with  sweetness.  However,  that 
night,  after  this  sorrowful  parting,  I  was  greatly  comforted  in  God 
at  West  Chester,  where  we  went  ashore  to  lodge;  and  had  a 
pleasant  time  of  it  all  the  voyage  to  Saybrook.  It  was  sweet  to 
me  to  think  of  meeting  dear  Christians  in  heaven,  where  we 
should  never  part  more.  At  Saybrook  we  went  ashore  to  lodge 
on  Saturday,  and  there  kept  Sabbath;  where  I  had  a  sweet  and 
refreshiiig  season,  walking  alone  in  the  fields. 

"  After  I  came  home  to  Windsor,  remained  much  in  a  like 
frame  of  mind  as  I  had  been  in  at  New  York,  but  only  sometimes 
felt  my  heart  ready  to  sink,  with  the  thoughts  of  my  friends  at 
New  York.  And  my  refuge  and  support  was  in  contemplations 
on  the  heavenly  state;  as  I  find  in  my  Diary  of  May  1,  1723.  It 
was  my  comfort  to  think  of  that  state,  where  there  is  fulness  of 
joy;  where  reigns  heavenly,  sweet,  calm,  and  delightful  love, 
without  alloy;  where  there  are  continually  the  dearest  expressions 
of  this  love;  where  is  the  enjoyment  of  the  persons  loved,  without 
ever  parting;  where  these  persons  that  appear  so  lovely  in  this 
world,  will  really  be  inexpressibly  more  lovely,  and  full  of  love  to 
us.  And  how  sweetly  will  the  mutual  lovers  join  together  to  sing 
the  praises  of  God  and  the  Lamb !  How  full  will  it  fill  us  with 
joy  to  think  that  this  enjoyment,  these  sweet  exercises,  will  never 
cease  or  come  to  an  end,  but  will  last  to  all  eternity! 

"  Continued  much  in  the  same  frame  in  the  general  that  I  had 
been  in  at  New  York,  till  I  went  to  New  Haven,  to  live  there  as 
a  tutor  of  the  College;  having  one  special  season  of  uncommon 
sweetness;  particularly  once  at  Bolton,  in  a  journey  from  Boston, 
walking  out  alone  in  the  fields.  After  I  went  to  New  Haven  I 
sunk  in  religion;  my  mind  being  diverted  from  my  eager  and  vio- 
lent pursuits  after  holiness,  by  some  affairs  that  greatly  perplexed 
and  distracted  my  mind. 

"In  Sept.  1725,  was  taken  ill  at  New  Haven;  and  endeavour- 
ing to  go  home  to  Windsor,  was  so  ill  at  the  North  Village  that  I 


XXVm  LIFE  OF  EDWARDS. 

could  go  no  further;  where  I  lay  sick  for  about  a  quarter  of  a  year. 
And,  in  this  sickness,  God  was  pleased  to  visit  me  again  with  the 
sweet  influences  of  his  Spirit.  My  mind  was  greatly  engaged 
there  on  divine,  pleasant  contemplations,  and  longings  of  soul.  I 
observed  that  those  who  watched  with  me,  would  often  be  look- 
ing out  for  the  morning,  and  seemed  to  wish  for  it;  which  brought 
to  my  mind  those  words  of  the  Psalmist,  which  my  soul  with 
sweetness  made  its  own  language,  My  soul  loaitethfor  tlie  Lord, 
more  than  they  that  watch  for  the  morning;  I  say  more  than  they 
that  watch  for  the  morning.  And  when  the  light  of  the  morning 
came,  and  the  beams  of  the  sun  came  in  at  the  windows,  it  re- 
freshed my  soul  from  one  morning  to  another.  It  seemed  to  me 
to  be  some  image  of  the  sweet  light  of  God's  glory. 

"  Once  as  I  rode  out  into  the  woods  for  my  health,  Anno  1737, 
and  having  lighted  from  my  horse  in  a  retired  place,  as  my  man- 
ner commonly  has  been,  to  walk  for  divine  contemplation  and 
prayer,  I  had  a  view,  that  for  me  was  extraordinary,  of  the  glory 
of  the  Son  of  God,  as  Mediator  between  God  and  man;  and  his 
wonderful,  great,  full,  pure,  and  sweet  grace,  and  love,  and  meek, 
and  gentle  condescension.  This  grace,  that  appeared  to  me  so 
calm  and  sweet,  appeared  great  above  the  heavens.  The  pei-son 
of  Christ  appeared  ineffably  excellent,  with  an  excellency  great 
enougb  to  swallow  up  all  thought  and  conception,  which  continu- 
ed, as  near  as  I  can  judge,  about  an  hour,  which  kept  me,  the 
greater  part  of  the  time,  in  a  flood  of  tears,  and  weeping  aloud. 
I  felt  withal,  an  ardency  of  soul  to  be,  what  I  know  not  otherwise 
how  to  express,  than  to  be  emptied  and  annihilated;  to  lie  in  the 
dust,  and  to  be  full  of  Christ  alone;  to  love  him  with  a  holy  and 
pure  love;  to  trust  in  him;  to  live  upon  him;  to  serve  and  follow 
him,  and  to  be  totally  wrapt  up  in  the  fulness  of  Christ;  and  to 
be  perfectly  sanctified  and  made  pure  with  a  divine  and  heavenly 
purity. 

"  On  Saturday  night,  Jan.  1738-9,  had  such  a  sense  how  sweet 
and  blessed  a  thing  it  was  to  walk  in  the  way  of  duty,  to  do  that 
which  was  right  and  meet  to  be  done,  and  agreeable  to  the  holy 
mind  of  God,  that  it  caused  me  to  break  forth  into  a  kind  of  loud 
weeping,  which  held  me  some  time,  so  that  I  was  forced  to  shut 
myself  up  and  fasten  the  doors.  I  could  not  but  as  it  were  cry 
out,  '  How  happy  are  they  which  do  that  which  is  right  in  the 
sight  of  God!  They  are  blessed  indeed,  they  are  the  happy  ones!' 
1  had,  at  the  same  time  a  very  affecting  sense  how  meet  and  suit- 
able it  was  that  God  should  govern  the  world,  and  order  all  things 
according  to  his  own  pleasure;  and  I  rejoiced  in  it,  that  God 
reigned,  and  that  his  will  was  done." 


INTRODUCTION. 


There  is  no  question  whatsoever,  that  is  of  greater 
importance  to  mankind,  and  that  it  mnre  concerns  every 
individual  person  to  be  well  resolved  in,  than  this. 
What  are  the  distinguishing  qualifications  of  those 
that  are  in  favour  with  God,  and  entitled  to  his  eternal 
rewards?  or,  whicli  comes  to  the  same  thing,  What  is 
the  nature  of  true  religion?  and  wherein  do  lie  the 
distinguishing  notes  of  that  virtue  and  holiness  that  is 
acceptable  in  the  sight  of  God?  But  though  it  be  of 
such  importance,  and  though  we  have  clear  and  abun- 
dant light  in  the  word  of  God  to  direct  us  in  this  mat- 
ter, yet  there  is  no  one  point,  wherein  professing  Chris- 
tians do  more  diifer  one  from  another.  It  would  be 
endless  to  reckon  up  the  variety  of  opinions  in  this 
point,  that  divide  the  Christian  world;  making  mani- 
fest the  truth  of  that  of  our  Saviour,  "  Straight  is  the 
gate,  and  narrow  is  the  way,  that  leads  to  life,  and  few 
there  be  that  find  it/' 

The  consideration  of  these  things  has  long  engaged 
me  to  attend  to  this  matter  with  the  utmost  diligence 
and  care,  and  exactness  of  seaiM^h  and  inquiry  that  I 
have  been  capable  of:  it  is  a  subject  on  which  my  mind 
has  been  peculiarly  intent,  ever  since  I  first  entered  on 
the  study  of  divinity. — But  as  to  the  success  of  ray 
inquiries,  it  must  be  left  to  the  judgment  of  the  reader 
of  the  followins;  treatise. 


IV  INTRODUCTION. 

I  am  sensible  it  is  much  more  difficult  to  judge  im- 
partially of  that  which  is  the  subject  of  this  discourse, 
in  the  midst  of  the  dust  and  smoke  of  such  a  state  of 
controversy,  as  this  land  is  now  in,  about  things  of 
this  nature:  as  it  is  more  difficult  to  write  impartially, 
so  it  is  more  difficult  to  read  impartially. — Many  will 
probably  be  hurt  in  their  spirits,  to  find  so  much  that 
appertains  to  religious  affection  here  condemned;  and 
perhaps  indignation  and  contempt  will  be  excited  in 
others  by  finding  so  much  here  justified  and  approved. 
And  it  may  be,  some  will  be  ready  to  charge  me  with 
inconsistence  with  myself,  in  so  much  approving  some 
things,  and  so  much  condemning  others;  as  I  have 
found  this  has  always  been  objected  to  by  some,  ever 
since  the  beginning  of  our  late  controversies  about  re- 
ligion. It  is  a  hard  thing  to  be  a  hearty  zealous  friend 
of  what  has  been  good  and  glorious,  in  the  late  extra- 
ordinary appearances,  and  to  rejoice  much  in  it;  and 
at  the  same  time  to  see  the  evil  and  pernicious  tenden- 
cy of  what  has  been  had,  and  earnestly  to  oppose  that. 
But  yet,  I  am  humbly,  but  fully  persuaded,  we  shall 
never  be  in  the  way  of  truth,  nor  go  on  in  a  way  ac- 
ceptable to  God,  and  tending  to  the  advancement  of 
Christ's  kingdom,  till  we  do  so.  There  is  indeed 
something  very  mysterious  in  it,  that  so  much  good, 
and  so  much  bad,  should  be  mixed  together  in  the 
church  of  God:  as  it  is  a  mysterious  thing,  and  w4iat 
has  puzzled  and  amazed  many  a  good  Christian,  that 
there  should  be  that  which  is  so  divine  and  precious, 
as  the  saving  grace  of  God,  and  the  new  and  divine 
nature,  dwelling  in  the  same  heart,  with  so  much  cor- 
ijption,  hypocrisy,  and  iniquity,  in  a  particular  saint. 
Yet  neither  of  these    is  more  mysterious  than  real. 


INTRODUCTION.  V 

And  neither  of  them  is  a  new  or  rare  thing.  It  is  no 
new  thing,  that  much  false  religion  slioiild  prevail,  at 
a  time  of  great  reviving  of  true  religion;  and  that  at 
such  a  time  multitudes  of  hypocrites  should  spring  up 
among  true  saints.  It  was  so  in  that  great  reforma- 
tion and  revival  of  religion  that  was  in  Josiah's  time; 
as  appears  by  Jer.  iii.  10.  and  iv.  3,  4.  and  also  by 
the  great  apostacy  that  there  was  in  the  land,  so  soon 
after  his  reign.  So  it  was  in  that  great  out-pouring  of 
the  Spirit  upon  the  Jews,  that  was  in  the  days  of  John 
the  Baptist;  as  appears  by  the  great  apostacy  of  that 
people,  so  soon  after  so  general  an  awakening,  and  the 
temporary  religious  comforts  and  joys  of  many;  John 
V.  So.  "  Ye  were  willing  for  a  season  to  rejoice  in  his 
light."  So  it  was  in  those  great  commotions  that  w^ere 
among  the  multitude,  occasioned  by  the  preaching  of 
Jesus  Christ;  of  the  many  that  were  then  called,  but 
few  were  chosen;  of  the  multitude  that  were  roused 
and  affected  by  his  preaching,  and  at  one  time  or  other 
appeared  mightily  engaged,  full  of  admiration  of  Christ, 
and  elevated  with  joy,  but  few  were  true  disciples  that 
stood  the  shock  of  the  great  trials  that  came  afterwards, 
and  endured  to  the  end:  many  were  like  the  stony 
ground,  or  thorny  ground;  and  but  few,  comparatively, 
like  the  good  ground.  Of  the  whole  heap  that  was  ga- 
thered, great  part  was  chaff,  that  the  wind  afterwards 
drove  away;  and  the  heap  of  wheat  that  was  left,  was 
comparatively  small;  as  appears  abundantly  by  the  his- 
tory of  the  New  Testament.  So  it  was  in  that  great 
out-pouring  of  the  Spirit  that  was  in  the  apostles'  days; 
as  appears  by  Matt.  xxiv.  10. — 13.  Gal.  iii.  1.  and  iv. 
11.  15.  Phil.  ii.  21.  and  iii.  18.  19.;  and  the  two  epis- 
tles to  the  Corinthians,  and  many  other  parts  of  the  New 


?1  INTRODUCTION. 

Testament.  And  so  it  was  in  the  great  reformation 
from  Popery. — It  appears  plainly  to  have  been  in  i\m 
visible  church  of  God,  in  times  of  great  reviving  of  re- 
ligion, from  time  to  time,  as  it  is  with  the  fruit-trees  in 
the  spring:  there  are  a  multitude  of  blossoms;  all 
which  appear  fair  and  beautiful,  and  there  is  a  pro- 
mising appearance  of  young  fruits;  but  many  of  them 
are  but  of  short  continuance,  they  soon  fall  off,  and 
never  come  to  maturity. 

Not  that  it  is  to  be  supposed  that  it  will  always  be 
so;  for  though  there  never  will,  in  this  world,  be  an 
entire  purity,  either  in  particular  saints,  in  a  perfect 
freedom  from  mixtures  of  corruption,  or  in  the  church 
of  Grod,  without  any  mixture  of  hypocrites  with  saints, 
and  counterfeit  religion,  and  false  appearances  of 
grace,  with  true  religion  and  real  holiness;  yet  it  is 
evident,  that  there  will  come  a  time  of  much  greater 
purity  in  the  church  of  God,  than  has  been  in  ages 
past;  it  is  plain  by  these  texts  of  scripture.  Is.  lii,  1. 
Ezek.  xliv.  6,  7,  9.  Joel  iii.  I7.  Zech.  xiv.  21.  Psal. 
Ixix.  33,  35,  36.  Is.  xxxv.  8,  10.  Chap.  iv.  3,  4. 
Ezek.  XX.  38.  Psal.  xxxvii.  9,  10,  21,  29.  And  one 
great  reason  of  it  will  be,  that  at  that  time,  God  will 
give  much  greater  light  to  his  people  to  distinguish 
betAveen  true  religion  and  its  counterfeits;  Mai.  iii.  3. 
^^  And  he  shall  sit  as  a  refiner  and  purifier  of  silver: 
and  he  shall  purify  the  sons  of  Levi,  and  purge  them 
as  gold  and  silver,  that  they  may  offer  to  the  Lord  an 
offering  in  righteousness. '^  With  ver.  18.  which  is  a 
continuation  of  the  prophecy  of  the  same  happy  times^ 
*^Then  shall  ye  return,  and  discern  between  the  righte- 
ous and  the  wicked;  between  him  that  serveth  God, 
and  him  that  serveth  not  him." 


INTRODUCTION.  Vll 

It  is  by  the  mixture  of  counterfeit  religion  with  true, 
not  discerned  and  distinguished,  that  the  devil  has  had 
his  greatest  advantage  against  the  cause  and  kingdom 
of  Christ,  all  along,  hitherto.  It  is  plainly  by  this 
means,  principally,  that  he  has  prevailed  against  all 
revivings  of  religion,  that  ever  have  been,  since  the 
first  founding  of  the  Christian  church.  By  this,  he  hurt 
the  cause  of  Christianity,  in,  and  after  the  apostolic 
age,  much  more  than  by  all  the  persecutions  of  both 
Jevi^s  and  Heathens:  the  apostles,  in  all  their  epistles, 
show  themselves  much  more  concerned  at  the  former 
mischief  than  the  latter.  By  this,  Satan  prevailed 
against  the  reformation,  begun  by  Luther,  Zuinglius, 
&c.  to  put  a  stop  to  its  progress,  and  bring  it  into  dis- 
grace, ten  times  more  than  by  all  those  bloody,  cruel, 
and  before  unheard  of  persecutions  of  the  church  of 
Rome.  By  this,  principally,  has  he  prevailed  against 
revivals  of  religion,  that  have  been  in  our  nation  since 
the  reformation.  By  this  he  prevailed  against  New 
England,  to  quench  the  love,  and  spoil  the  joy  of  her 
espousals,  about  an  hundred  years  ago.  And  I  think 
I  have  had  opportunity  enough  to  see  plainly  that  by 
this  the  devil  has  prevailed  against  the  late  great  re- 
vival of  religion  in  New  England,  so  happy  and  pro- 
mising in  its  beginning:  here  most  evidently  has  been 
the  main  advantage  Satan  has  had  against  us;  by  this 
he  has  foiled  us:  it  is  by  this  means,  that  the  daugh- 
ter of  Zion,  in  this  land,  now  lies  on  the  ground,  in 
such  piteous  circumstances,  as  we  now  behold  her; 
with  her  garments  rent,  her  face  disfigured,  her  naked- 
ness exposed,  her  limbs  broken,  and  weltering  in  the 
blood  of  her  own  wounds,  and  in  nowise  able  to  arise; 
and  this;  so  quickly  after  her  late  great  joys  and  hopes: 


VJll  INTRODUCTION. 

Lara.  1.  17.  "  Zion  spreadeth  forth  her  hands,  and 
there  is  none  to  comfort  her:  the  Lord  hath  command- 
ed concerning  Jacoh,  that  his  adversaries  shall  be 
round  about  him:  Jerusalem  is  as  a  menstruous  wo- 
man among  them."  I  have  seen  the  devil  prevail  the 
same  way,  against  two  great  revivings  of  religion  in 
this  country. — Satan  goes  on  with  mankind,  as  he  be- 
gan with  them.  He  prevailed  against  our  first  parents 
and  cast  them  out  of  paradise,  and  suddenly  brought 
all  their  happiness  and  glory  to  an  end,  by  appearing 
to  be  a  friend  to  their  happy  paradisaic- state,  and  pre- 
tending to  advance  it  to  higher  degrees.  So  the  same 
cunning  serpent,  that  beguiled  Eve  through  his  subtil- 
ty,  by  perverting  us  from  the  simplicity  that  is  in 
Christ,  hath  suddenly  prevailed  to  deprive  us  of  that 
fair  prospect,  we  had  a  little  while  ago,  of  a  kind  of 
paradisaic  state  of  the  church  of  God  in  New  Eng- 
land. 

After  religion  has  revived  in  the  church  of  Grod,  and 

enemies  appear,  people  that  are  engaged  to  defend  its 
cause  are  commonly  most  exposed  where  they  are 
least  sensible  of  danger.  While  they  are  wholly  in- 
tent upon  the  opposition  that  appears  openly  before 
them  to  make  head  against  that,  and  do  neglect  care- 
fully to  look  all  around  them,  the  devil  comes  behind 
them,  and  gives  a  fatal  stab  unseen;  and  has  opportu- 
nity to  give  a  more  home  stroke,  and  wound  the  deeper, 
because  he  strikes  at  his  leisure,  and  according  to  his 
pleasure,  being  obstructed  by  no  guard  or  resistance. 

And  so  it  is  likely  ever  to  be  in  the  church,  when- 
ever religion  revives  remarkably,  till  we  have  learned 
well  to  distinguish  between  true  and  false  religion,  be- 
tween saving  affections  and  experiences^  and  those  ma- 


INTRODUCTION.  XI 

niR)ld  fair  shows,  and  glistering  appearances  by  which 
they  are  counterfeited;  the  consequences  of  which, 
when  they  are  not  distinguished,  are  often  inexpressi- 
bly dreadful.  By  this  means,  the  devil  gratifies  him- 
self, by  bringing  it  to  pass,  that  tliat  should  be  offered 
to  God,  by  multitudes,  under  a  notion  of  a  pleasing  ac- 
ceptable service  to  him,  that  is  indeed  above  all  things 
abominable  to  him.  By  this  means,  he  deceives  great 
multitudes  about  the  state  of  their  souls;  making  them 
think  they  are  something,  when  they  are  nothing;  and 
so  eternally  outdoes  them;  and  not  only  so,  but  esta- 
blishes many  in  a  strong  confidence  of  their  eminent 
holiness,  who  are  in  God's  sight  some  of  the  vilest  of 
hypocrites.  By  this  means,  he  many  ways  damps  and 
wounds  religion  in  the  hearts  of  the  saints,  obscures 
and  deforms  it  by  corrupt  mixtures,  causes  their  reli- 
gious affections  wofully  to  degenerate,  and  sometimes 
for  a  considerable  time,  to  be  like  the  manna  that  bred 
worms  and  stank;  and  dreadfully  ensnares  and  con- 
founds the  minds  of  others  of  the  saints,  and  brings 
them  into  great  difficulties  and  temptation,  and  en- 
tangles them  in  a  wilderness,  out  of  which  they  can  by 
no  means  extricate  themselves.  By  this  means,  Sa- 
tan mightily  encourages  the  hearts  of  open  enemies  of 
religion,  and  strengthens  their  hands,  and  fills  them 
with  weapons,  and  makes  strong  their  fortresses; 
when,  at  the  same  time,  religion  and  the  church  of 
God  lie  exposed  to  them,  as  a  city  without  walls.  By 
this  means,  he  brings  it  to  pass,  that  men  work 
wickedness,  under  a  notion  of  doing  God  service, 
and  so  sin  without  restraint,  yea,  with  earnest  for- 
wardness and  zeal,  and  with  all  their  might.  By 
this  means?  he  brings  in  even  the  friends  of  religion. 


X  INTRODUCTION. 

insensibly  to  themselves,  to  do  the  work  of  enemies, 
by  destroying  religion  in  a  far  more  effectual  manner 
than  open  enemies  can  do,  under  a  notion  of  advancing 
it.  By  this  means,  the  devil  scatters  the  ilock  of  Christ, 
and  sets  them  one  against  another,  and  that  with  great 
heat  of  spirit,  under  a  notion  of  zeal  for  God;  and  re- 
ligion, by  degrees,  degenerates  into  vain  jangling;  and 
during  the  strife,  Satan  leads  both  parties  far  out  of 
the  right  way,  driving  each  to  great  extremes,  one  on 
the  right  hand,  and  the  other  on  the  left,  according  as 
he  finds  they  are  most  inclined,  or  most  easily  moved 
and  swayed,  till  the  right  path  in  the  middle  is  almost 
wholly  neglected.  And  in  the  midst  of  this  confusion, 
the  devil  has  great  opportunity  to  advance  his  own  in- 
terest, and  make  it  strong  in  ways  innumerable,  and 
get  the  government  of  all  into  his  own  hands,  and  work 
his  own  will.  And  by  what  is  seen  of  the  terrible 
consequences  of  this  counterfeit  religion,  when  not  dis- 
tinguished from  true  religion,  God's  people  in  general 
have  their  minds  unhinged  and  unsettled  in  things  of 
religion,  and  know  not  where  to  set  their  foot,  or  what 
to  think  or  do;  and  many  are  brought  into  doubts, 
whether  there  be  any  thing  at  all  in  religion;  and 
heresy,  and  infidelity,  and  atheism  greatly  prevail. 

Therefore,  it  greatly  concerns  us  to  use  our  utmost 
endeavours,  clearly  to  discern,  and  have  it  well  settled 
and  established,  wherein  true  religion  does  consist. 
Till  this  be  done,  it  may  be  expected,  that  great  re- 
vivings  of  religion  will  be  but  of  short  continuance:  till 
this  be  done,  there  is  but  little  good  to  be  expected  of 
all  our  warm  debates,  in  conversation  and  from  the 
press,  not  knowing  clearly  and  distinctly  what  we 
ought  to  contend  for. 


INTRODUCTION.  XI 

My  design  is  to  contribute  my  mite,  and  use  my  best 
(howevei*  feeble)  endeavours  to  this  end,  in  the  ensu- 
ing treatise;  wherein  it  must  be  noted,  that  my  design 
is  somewhat  diverse  from  the  design  of  what  I  have 
formerly  published,  which  was  to  show  the  distinguish- 
ing marks  of  a  ivork  of  the  Spirit  of  Godj  including 
both  his  common  and  saving  operations;  but  what  I  aim 
at  now,  is  to  show  the  nature  and  signs  of  the  gra- 
cious operations  of  God's  Spirit,  by  which  they  are  to 
be  distinguished  from  all  things  whatsoever  that  the 
minds  of  men  are  the  subjects  of,  which  are  not  of  a 
saving  nature.  If  I  have  succeeded  in  this  my  aim, 
in  any  tolerable  measure,  I  hope  it  will  tend  to  pro- 
mote the  interest  of  religion.  And  whether  1  have 
succeeded  to  bring  any  light  to  this  subject,  or  not,  and 
however  my  attempts  may  be  reproached,  in  these  cap- 
tious, censorious  times,  I  hope  in  the  mercy  of  a  gra- 
cious and  righteous  God,  for  the  acceptance  of  the  sin- 
cerity of  my  endeavours;  and  hope  also  for  the  can- 
dour and  prayers  of  the  true  followers  of  the  meek  and^ 
charitable  Lamb  of  God. 


KELIGIOUS  AFFECTIONS. 


PART  I. 

■CONCERNING  THE  NATURE  OF  THE    AFFECTIONS,    AND  THEIR  IM- 
PORTANCE IN  RELIGION. 

1  PETER,  i.  8. 

Whom  having  not  seen,  ye  love:  in  whom,  though  now  ye  see  him 
not,  yet  believing,  ye  rejoice  with  joy  unspeakable,  and  full  of 
glory. 

In  these  words  the  ajjostle  represents  the  state  of  the  minds  of 
the  Christians  he  wrote  to,  under  the  persecutions  they  were  then 
the  subjects  of.  These  persecutions  are  what  he  has  respect  to 
in  the  two  preceding  verses,  when  he  speaks  of  the  trial  of  their 
faith,  and  of  their  being  in  heaviness  through  manifold  temptations. 

Such  trials  are  of  threefold  benefit  to  true  religion.  Hereby 
the  truth  of  it  is  manifested,  and  it  appears  to  be  indeed  true  re- 
ligion; they,  above  all  other  things,  have  a  tendency  to  distinguish 
between  true  religion  and  false,  and  to  cause  the  difference  be- 
tween them  evidently  to  appear.  Hence  they  are  called  by  the 
name  of  trials,  in  the  verse  nextly  preceding  the  text,  and  in  innu- 
merable other  places:  they  try  the  faith  and  religion  of  profes- 
sors, of  what  sort  it  is,  as  apparent  gold  is  tried  in  the  fire,  and 
manifested,  whether  it  be  true  gold  or  not.  And  the  faith  of  true 
Christians  being  thus  tried  and  proved  to  be  true,  is  "  found  to 
praise  and  honour  and  glory,"  as  in  that  preceding  verse. 

And  then,  these  trials  are  of  further  benefit  to  true  religion; 
they  not  only  manifest  the  truth  of  it,  but  they  make  its  ge- 
nuine beauty  and  amiableness  remarkably  to  appear.  True  vir- 
tue never  appears  so  lovely  as  when  it  is  most  oppressed:  and  the 
divine  excellency  of  real  Christianity,  is  never  exhibited  with  such 


14  natuhe  and  importance 

advantage,  as  when  under  the  greatest  trials:  then  it  is  that  true 
faith  appears  much  more  precious  than  gold;  and  upon  this  ac- 
count, is  "  found  to  praise  and  honour  and  glorj'." 

And  again,  another  benefit  that  such  trials  are  of  to  true  reli- 
gion, is,  that  they  purify  and  increase  it.  They  not  only  manifest 
it  to  be  true,  but  also  tend  to  refine  it,  and  deliver  it  from  those 
mixtures  of  that  which  is  false,  which  incumber  and  impede  it; 
that  nothing  may  be  left  but  that  which  is  true.  They  tend  to 
cause  the  amiableness  of  true  religion  to  appear  to  the  best  ad- 
vantage, as  was  before  observed;  and  not  only  so,  but  they  tend 
to  increase  its  beauty,  by  establishing  and  confirming  it,  and  mak- 
ing it  more  lively  and  vigorous,  and  purifying  it  from  those  things 
that  obscured  its  lustre  and  glory.  As  gold  that  is  tried  in  the 
fire  is  purged  from  its  alloy  and  all  remainders  of  dross,  and 
comes  forth  more  solid  and  beautiful;  so  true  faith  being  tried  as 
gold  is  tried  in  the  fire,  becomes  more  precious,  and  thus  also  is 
"  found  unto  praise  and  honour  and  glory."  The  apostle  seems 
to  have  respect  to  each  of  these  benefits,  that  persecutions  are  of 
to  true  religion,  in  the  verse  preceding  the  text. 

And  in  the  text,  the  apostle  observes  how  true  religion  opera- 
ted in  the  Christians  he  wrote  to,  under  their  persecutions,  where- 
by these  benefits  of  persecution  appeared  in  them;  or  what  man- 
ner of  operation  of  true  religion,  in  them,  it  was,  whereby  their 
religion,  under  persecution,  was  manifested  to  be  true  religion, 
and  eminently  appeared  in  the  genuine  beauty  and  amiableness 
of  true  religion,  and  also  appeared  to  be  increased  and  purified, 
and  so  was  like  to  be  "  found  unto  praise  and  honour  and  glory, 
at  the  appearing  of  Jesus  Christ."  And  there  were  two  kinds  of 
operation,  or  exercise  of  true  religion,  in  them,  under  their  suffer- 
ings, that  the  apostle  takes  notice  of  in  the  text,  wherein  these 
benefits  appeared. 

1.  Love  to  Christ,  "  Whom  having  not  yet  seen,  ye  love."  The 
world  was  ready  to  wonder  what  strange  principle  it  was,  that 
influenced  them  to  expose  themselves  to  so  great  sufferings,  to  for- 
sake the  things  that  were  seen,  and  renounce  all  that  was  dear 
and  pleasant,  which  was  the  object  of  sense.     They  seemed  to 


OF  RELIGIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  15 

the  men  of  the  world  about  them,  as  though  they  were  beside 
themselves,  and  to  act  as  though  tliey  hated  themselves;  there  was 
nothing  in  their  view  that  could  induce  them  thus  to  suffer,  and 
to  support  them  under,  and  carry  them  through  such  trials.  But 
although  there  was  nothing  that  was  seen,  nothing  that  the  world 
saw,  or  that  the  Christians  themselves  ever  saw  with  their  bodily 
eyes,  that  thus  influenced  and  supported  them,  yet  they  had  a  su- 
pernatural principle  of  love  to  something  unseen;  they  loved  Jesus 
Christ,  for  they  saw  him  spiritually,  whom  the  world  saw  not, 
and  whom  they  then^selves  had  never  seen  with  bodily  eyes. 

2.  Joy  in  Christ.  Though  their  outward  sufferings  were  very 
grievous,  3-et  their  inward  spiritual  joys  were  greater  than  their 
sufferings;  and  these  supported  them,  and  enabled  them  to  suffer 
with  cheerfulness. 

There  are  two  things,  which  the  apostle  takes  notice  of  in  the 
text,  concerning  this  joy.  1 .  The  manner  in  which  it  rises,  the 
way  in  which  Christ,  though  unseen,  is  the  foundation  of  it,  viz. 
by  faith:  which  is  the  evidence  of  things  not  seen:  "  In  whom, 
though  now  ye  see  him  not,  yet  believing,  ye  rejoice;" — ^-The 
nature  of  this  joy;  "  unspeakable,  and  full  of  glory."  Unspeak- 
able in  the  kind  of  it;  very  different  from  worldly  joys  and  car- 
nal delights;  of  a  vastly  more  pure,  sublime  and  heavenly  nature, 
being  somewhat  supernatural,  and  truly  divine,  and  so  ineffably 
excellent;  the  sublimity  and  exquisite  sweetness  of  which,  there 
were  no  words  to  set  forth.  Unspeakable  also  in  degree;  it  pleas- 
ing God  to  give  them  this  holy  joy,  with  a  liberal  hand,  and  in 
large  measure,  in  their  state  of  persecution. 

Their  joy  was  full  of  glory.  Although  the  joy  was  unspeaka- 
ble, and  no  words  were  sufficient  to  describe  it,  yet  something 
may  be  said  of  it,  and  no  w^ords  more  fit  to  represent  its  excellen- 
cy than  these,  that  it  wa.s  full  of  glory:  or,  as  it  is  in  the  original, 
glorified  joy.  In  rejoicing  with  this  joy,  their  minds  were  filled, 
as  it  were,  with  a  glorious  brightness,  and  their  natures  exalted 
and  perfected.  It  was  a  most  worthy,  noble  rejoicing,  that  did  not 
corrupt  and  debase  the  mind,  as  many  carnal  joys  do;  but  did 
greatly  beautify  and  dignify  it;  it  was  a  foretaste  of  the  joy  of 


16  NATURE  OF 

heaven,  that  raised  their  minds  to  a  degree  of  heavenly  blessed- 
ness; it  filled  their  minds  with  the  light  of  God's  glorj',  and  made 
themselves  to  shine  with  communication  of  that  glory. 

Hence  the  proposition  or  doctrine,  that  I  would  raise  from  these 
words,  is  this: 

Doctrine.  True  religion,  in  a  great  part,  consists  in  holy  af- 
fections. 

We  see  that  the  apostle,  in  observing  and  remarking  the  ope- 
rations and  exercises  of  religion,  in  the  Christians  he  wrote  to, 
wherein  their  religion  appeared  to  be  true  and  of  the  right  kind, 
when  it  had  its  greatest  trial  of  what  sort  it  was,  being  tried  by 
persecution,  as  gold  is  tried  in  the  fire,  and  when  their  religion 
not  only  proved  true,  but  was  most  pure,  and  cleansed  from  its 
dross  and  mixtures  of  that  which  was  not  true,  and  when  religion 
appeared  in  them  most  in  its  genuine  excellency  and  native  beau- 
ty, and  was  found  to  praise  and  honour  and  glory,  he  singles  out 
the  religious  affections  of  love  and  joy,  that  were  then  in  exercise 
in  them;  these  are  the  exercises  of  religion  he  takes  notice  of, 
wherein  their  religion  did  thus  appear  true  and  pure,  and  in  its 
proper  glory. 

Here  I  would, 

1 .  Show  what  is  intended  by  the  affections. 

2.  Observe  some  things  which  make  it  evident  that  a  great 
part  of  true  religion  lies  in  the  affections. 

I.  It  may  be  inquired  what  the  affections  of  the  mind  are.? 

I  answer.  The  affections  are  no  other  than  the  more  vigorous 
and  sensible  exercises  of  the  inclination  and  will  of  the  soul. 

God  has  endued  the  soul  with  two  faculties:  one  is  that  by 
which  it  is  capable  of  perception  and  speculation,  or  by  which  it 
discerns  and  views  and  judges  of  things,  which  is  called  the  un- 
\,  derstanding.  The  other  faculty  is  that  by  which  the  soul  does 
not  merely  perceive  and  view  things,  but  is  some  way  inclined 
with  respect  to  the  things  it  views  or  considers;  either  is  inclined 
to  them,  or  is  disinclined  and  averse /rom  them;  or  is  the  faculty, 
by  which  the  soul  does  not  behold  things  as  an  indifferent,  unaf- 
fected spectator,  but  either  as  liking  or  disliking,  pleased  or  dis- 


THE  AFFECTIONS.  17 

pleased,  approving  or  rejecting.  This  faculty  is  called  by  vari- 
ous names:  it  is  sometimes  called  the  inclination;  and,  as  it  has 
respect  to  the  actions  that  are  determined  and  governed  by  it,  is 
called  the  will;  and  the  mind,  with  regard  to  the  exercises  of  this 
faculty,  is  often  called  the  heart. 

The  exercises  of  this  faculty  are  of  two  sorts;  either  those  by 
which  the  soul  is  carried  out  towards  the  things  that  are  in  view,  in 
approving  of  them,  being  pleased  with  them,  and  inclined  to  them; 
or  those  in  which  the  soul  opposes  the  things  that  are  in  view, 
in  disapproving  them,  and  in  being  displeased  with  them,  averse 
from  them,  and  rejecting  them. 

And  as  the  exercises  of  the  inclination  and  will  of  the  soul 
are  various  in  their  kinds,  so  they  are  much  more  various  in  their 
degrees.  There  are  some  exercises  of  pleasedness  or  displeased- 
ness,  inclination  or  disinclination,  wherein  the  soul  is  carried  but 
a  little  beyond  a  state  of  perfect  indifference.  And  there  are 
other  degrees  above  this,  wherein  the  approbation  or  dislike, 
pleasedness  or  aversion,  are  stronger;  wherein  we  may  rise  high- 
er and  higher,  till  the  soul  comes  to  act  vigorously  and  sensibly, 
and  the  actings  of  the  soul  are  with  that  strength,  that  (through 
the  laws  of  the  union  which  the  Creator  has  fixed  between  soul 
and  body)  the  motion  of  the  blood  and  animal  spirits  begins  to  be 
sinsibly  altered;  whence  oftentimes  arises  some  bodily  sensation, 
especially  about  the  heart  and  vitals,  that  are  the  fountain  of  the 
fluids  of  the  body:  from  whence  it  comes  to  pass,  that  the  mind, 
with  regard  to  the  exercises  of  this  faculty,  perhaps  in  all  nations 
and  ages,  is  called  the  heart.  And  it  is  to  be  noted  that  they 
are  these  more  vigorous  and  sensible  exercises  of  this  faculty  that 
are  called  the  affections. 

The  will  and  the  affections  of  the  soul  are  not  two  faculties; 
the  affections  are  not  essentially  distinct  from  the  will,  nor  do 
they  differ  from  the  mere  actings  of  the  will  and  inclination  of 
the  soul,  but  only  in  the  liveliness  and  sensibleness  of  exercise. 

It  must  be  confessed,  that  language  is  here  somewhat  imper- 
fect, and  the  meaning  of  words  in  a  considerable  measure  loose 
and  unfixed,  and  not  precisely  limited  by  custom,  which  governs 


18  NATURE    OF 

the  use  of  language.  In  some  sense,  the  affection  of  the  soul 
differs  nothing  at  all  from  the  will  and  inclination,  and  the  will 
never  is  in  any  exercise,  any  further  than  it  is  affected;  it  is  not 
moved  out  of  a  state  of  perfect  indifference,  any  otherwise  than 
it  is  affected  one  way  or  other,  and  acts  Viothing  any  further. 
But  yet  there  are  many  actings  of  the  will  and  inclination,  that 
are  not  so  commonly  called  affections.  In  every  thing  we  do, 
wherein  we  act  voluntarily,  there  is  an  exercise  of  the  will  and  in- 
clination. It  is  our  inclination  that  governs  us  in  our  actions: 
but  all  the  actings  of  the  inclination  and  will,  in  all  our  common 
actions  of  life,  are  not  ordinarily  called  affections.  Yet,  what  are 
commonly  called  affections  are  not  essentially  different  from 
them,  but  only  in  the  degree  and  manner  of  exercise.  In  every 
act  of  the  will,  whatsoever,  the  soul  either  likes  or  dislikes,  is 
either  inclined  or  disinclined  to  what  is  in  view:  these  are  not 
essentially  different  from  those  affections  of  love  and  hatred,  that 
liking  or  inclination  of  the  soul  to  a  thing;  if  it  be  in  a  high  de- 
gree, and  be  vigorous  and  lively,  is  the  very  same  thing  with 
the  affection  of  love:  and  that  disliking  and  disinclining,  if  in  a 
greater  degree,  is  the  very  same  with  hatred.  In  every  act  of  the 
will  for,  or  towards  something  not  present,  the  soul  is  in  some 
degree  inclined  to  that  thing;  and  that  inclination,  if  in  a  consi- 
derable degree,  is  the  very  same  with  the  affection  of  desire. 
And  in  every  degree  of  the  act  of  the  will,  wherein  the  soul  ap- 
proves of  something  present,  there  is  a  degree  of  pleasedness;  and 
that  pleasedness,  if  it  be  in  a  considerable  degree,  is  the  very 
same  with  the  affection  of  joy  or  delight.  And  if  the  will  dis- 
approves of  what  is  present,  the  soul  is  in  some  degree  dis- 
-pleased,  and  if  that  displeasedness  be  great,  it  is  the  very  same 
with  the  affection  of  grief  or  sorrow. 

Such  seems  to  be  our  nature,  and  such  the  laws  of  the  union, 
of  soul  and  body,  that  there  never  is,  in  any  case  whatsoever, 
any  lively  and  vigorous  exercise  of  .the  will  or  inclination  of  the 
soul,  without  some  effect  upon  the  body,  in  some  alteration  of 
the  motion  of  its  fluids,  and  especially  of  the  animal  spirits.  And, 
on  the  other  hand,  from  the  same  laws  of  the  union  of  soul  and 


THE    AFFECTIONS,  19 

body;  the  constitution  of  the  body  and  the  motion  of  the  fluids 
may  promote  the  exercise  of  the  affections.  But  yet,  it  is  not 
the  body,  but  the  mind  only  that  is  the  proper  seat  of  the  af- 
fections. The  body  of  man  is  no  more  capable  of  being  really 
the  subject  of  love  or  hatred,  joy  or  sorrow,  fear  or  hope,  than 
the  body  of  a  tree,  or  than  the  same  body  of  man  is  capable  of 
thinking  and  understanding.  As  it  is  the  soul  only  that  has  ideas, 
so  it  is  the  soul  only  that  is  pleased  or  displeased  with  its  ideas. 
As  it  is  the  soul  only  that  thinks;  so  it  is  the  soul  only  that  loves 
or  hates,  rejoices  or  is  grieved  at  what  it  thinks  of.  Nor  are 
these  motions  of  the  animal  spirits  and  fluids  of  the  body  any 
thing  properly  belonging  to  the  nature  of  the  affections,  though 
they  always  accompany  them  in  the  present  state;  but  are  only 
effects  or  concomitants  of  affections,  that  are  entirely  distinct  from 
the  aff*ections  themselves,  and  no  way  essential  to  them;  so  that 
an  unbodied  spirit  may  be  as  capable  of  love  and  hatred,  joy  or 
sorrow,  hope  or  fear,  or  other  affections,  as  one  that  is  united  to 
a  body. 

The  affections  and  passions  are  frequently  spoken  of  as  the 
same;  and  yet,  in  the  more  common  use  of  speech,  there  is  in 
some  respect  a  difference;  and  affection  is  a  Avord,  that  in  its  or- 
dinary signification,  seems  to  be  something  more  extensive,  than 
passion,  being  used  for  all  vigorous  lively  actings  of  tlie  will  or 
inclination;  but  passion  for  those  that  are  more  sudden,  and 
whose  effects  on  the  animal  spirits  are  more  violent,  and  the 
mind  more  overpowered,  and  less  in  its  own  command. 

As  all  the  exercises  of  the  inclination  and  will  are  either  in 
approving  and  liking,  or  disapproving  and  rejecting;  so  the  af- 
fections arc  of  two  sorts;  they  are  those  by  which  the  soul  is 
carried  out  to  what  is  in  view,  cleaving  to  it  or  seeking  it;  or 
those  by  which  it  is  averse  from  it,  and  opposes  it. 

Of  the  former  sort  are  love,  desire,  hope,  joy,  gratitude,  com- 
placence. Of  the  latter  kind,  are  hatred,  fear,  anger,  grief  and  such 
like;  which,  it  is  needless  now  to  stand  particularly  to  define. 

And  there  are  some  affections  wherein  there  is  a  composition 
of  each  of  the  aforementioned  kinds  of  actings  of  the  wijl;  as  in 


20  NATURE    OF 

the  affection  of  pitij,  there  is  something  of  the  former  kind  to- 
wards the  person  sutTering,  and  something  of  the  latter  towards 
what  he  suffers.  And  so  in  zeal,  there  is  in  it  a  high  approba- 
tion of  some  person  or  thing,  together  ^vith  a  vigorous  opposition 
to  what  is  conceived  to  be  contrary  to  it. 

There  are  other  mixed  affections,  that  might  be  also  mention- 
ed; but  I  hasten  to, 

II.  The  second  thing  proposed,  wdiich  was,  to  observe  some 
things  that  render  it  evident,  that  true  religion,  in  a  great  part, 
consists  in  the  affections.     And  here, 

1,  What  has  been  said  of  the  nature  of  the  affections  makes  this 
evident,  and  may  be  sufficient,  without  adding  any  thing  further, 
to  put  this  matter  out  of  doubt:  for  who  will  deny,  that  true  reli- 
gion consists,  in  a  great  measure,  in  vigorous  and  lively  actings 
of  the  inclination  and  will  of  the  soul,  or  the  fervent  exercises  of 
the  heart? 

That  religion,  which  God  requires,  and  will  accept,  does  not 
consist  in  w^eak,  dull  and  lifeless  w^ouldings,  raising  us  but  a  little 
above  a  state  of  indifference:  God,  in  his  word,  greatly  insists 
upon  it,  that  we  be  in  good  earnest,  "  fervent  in  spirit,"  and  our 
hearts  vigoi'ously  engaged  in  religion:  Rom.  xii.  11.  "Be  ye  fer- 
vent in  spirit,  serving  the  Lord."  Deut.  x.  12.  "And  now  Is- 
rael, what  doth  the  Lord  thy  God  require  of  thee,  but  to  fear  the 
Lord  thy  God,  to  walk  in  all  his  ways,  and  to  love  him,  and  to 
serve  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul?" 
And  chap.  vi.  4,  5.  "  Hear,  0  Israel,  the  Lord  our  God  is  one 
Lord:  and  thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy  heart, 
and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  w4th  all  thy  might."  It  is  such  a  fer- 
vent, vigorous  engagedness  of  the  heart  in  religion,  that  is  the 
fruit  of  a  real  circumcision  of  the  heart,  or  true  regeneration,  and 
that  has  the  promises  of  life;  Deut.  xxx.  6.  "And  the  Lord  thy 
God  will  circumcise  thine  heart,  and  the  heart  of  thy  seed,  to 
love  the  Lord  thy  God,  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul, 
that  thou  mayest  live." 

If  we  be  not  in  good  earnest  in  religion,  and  our  wills  and  in- 
clinations be  not  strongly  exercised,  we  are  nothing.     The  things 


THE    AFFECTIONS.  21 

of  religion  are  so  great,  that  there  can  be  no  suitableness,  in  the 
exercises  of  our  hearts,  to  their  nature  and  importance,  unless 
they  be  lively  and  powerful.  In  nothing  is  vigor,  in  the  actings 
of  our  inclinations,  so  requisite,  as  in  religion;  and  in  nothing  is 
luke  warmness  so  odious.  True  religion  is  evermore  a  powerful 
thing;  and  the  power  of  it  appears,  in  the  first  place,  in  the  in- 
ward exercises  of  it,  in  the  heart,  where  is  the  principal  and  ori- 
ginal seat  of  it.  Hence  true  religion  is  called  the  power  of  god- 
liness, in  distinction  from  the  external  appearances  of  it.  that  are 
the  form  of  it,  2  Tim,  iii.  5.  "Having  a  form  of  godliness  but 
denying  the  power  of  it."  The  Spirit  of  God,  in  those  that  have 
found  any  solid  religion,  is  a  spirit  of  powerful  holy  affection;  and, 
therefore,  God  is  said  to  have  given  them  the  Spirit  of  power, 
and  of  "  love  and  of  a  sound  mind,"  2  Tim.  i.  7.  And  such,  when 
they  receive  the  Spirit  of  God,  in  his  sanctifying  and  saving  in- 
fluences, are  said  to  be  "  baptized  with  the  Holy  Ghost  and 
with  fire;"  by  reason  of  the  power  and  favour  of  those  exercises, 
the  Spirit  of  God  excite  in  their  hearts;  whereby  their  hearts, 
when  grace  is  in  exercise,  may  be  said  to  burn  within  them;  as 
is  said  of  the  diciples,  Luke  xxiv.  32. 

The  business  of  religion  is,  from  time  to  time,  compared  to 
those  exercises,  wherein  men  are  wont  to  have  their  hearts  and 
strength  greatly  exercised  and  engaged;  such  as  running,  wrestling 
or  agonizing  for  a  great  prize  or  crown;  and  fighting  with  strong 
enemies  that  seek  our  lives,  and  warring  as  those,  that  by  vio- 
lence take  a  city  or  kingdom. 

And,  though  true  grace  has  various  degrees,  and  there  are 
some  that  are  but  babes  in  Christ,  in  whom  the  exercise  of  the 
inclination  and  will  towards  divine  and  heavenly  things,  is  com- 
paratively weak;  yet  every  one  that  has  the  power  of  godliness 
in  his  heart,  has  his  inclinations  and  heart  exercised  towards 
God  and  divine  things,  with  such  strength  and  vigor,  that  these 
holy  exercises  do  prevail  in  him,  above  all  carnal  or  natural  af- 
fections, and  are  effectual  to  overcome  them:  for  every  true  dis- 
ciple of  Christ,  "  loves  him  above  father  or  mother,  wife  and 
children,  brethren  and  sisters,  houses  and  lands;   yea,  than  his 


22  RELIGION    CONSISTS    MUCH 

ou'n  life.'"  From  hence  it  follows,  that  wherever  true  religion 
is,  there  are  vigorous  exercises  of  the  inclination  and  will  to- 
wards divine  objects:  but,  by  what  was  said  before,  the  vigorous, 
lively  and  sensible  exercises  of  the  will,  are  no  other  than  the  af> 
fections  of  the  soul. 

2.  The  Author  of  the  human  nature  has  not  only  given  affec- 
tions to  men,  but  has  made  them  very  much  the  spring  of  mens 
actions.  As  the  affections  do  not  only  necessarily  belong  to  the 
human  nature,  but  are  a  very  great  part  of  it:  so  (inasmuch  as  by 
regeneration,  persons  are  renewed  in  the  whole  man,  and  sanctified 
throughout)  holy  affections  do  not  only  necessarily  belong  to  true 
religion,  but  are  a  very  great  part  of  it.  And  as  true  religion  is 
of  a  practical  nature,  and  God  hath  so  constituted  the  human  na- 
ture that  the  affections  are  very  much  the  spring  of  mens  actions, 
this  also  shows  that  true  religion  must  consist  very  much  in  the 
affections. 

Such  is  man^s  nature,  that  he  is  very  unactive,  any  otherwise, 
than  he  is  influenced  by  some  affection,  either  love  or  hatred,  de- 
sire, hope,  fear  or  some  other.  These  affections,  we  see  to  be 
the  springs  that  set  men  agoing,  in  all  the  affairs  of  life,  and  en- 
gage them  in  all  their  pursuits:  these  are  the  things  that  put  men 
forward,  and  carry  them  along,  in  all  their  worldly  business;  and 
^specially  are  men  excited  and  animated  by  these,  in  all  affairs 
wherein  they  are  earnestly  engaged,  and  which  they  pursue  with 
vigor.  We  see  the  world  of  mankind  to  be  exceeding  busy  and 
-;  active;  and  the  affections  of  men  are  the  springs  of  the  motion: 
take  away  all  love  and  hatred,  all  hope  and  fear,  all  anger,  zeal 
and  affectionate  desire,  and  the  world  would  be,  in  a  great  mea- 
sure, motionless  and  dead;  there  would  be  no  such  thing  as  activity 
amongst  mankind,  or  any  active  pursuit  whatsoever.  It  is  affec- 
tion that  engages  the  covetous  man,  and  him  that  is  greedy  of 
worldly  profits,  in  his  pursuits;  and  it  is  by  the  affections,  that  the 
ambitious  man  is  put  forward  in  his  pursuit  of  worldly  glory;  and 
it  is  the  affections  also  that  actuates  the  voluptuous  man,  in  his 
pursuit  of  pleasure  and  sensual  delights:  the  world  continues,  from 
age  to  age,  in  a  continual  commotion  and  agitation,  in  a  pursuit 


IN  HOLY  AFFECTIONS.  23 

of  these  thini^s;  but  take  away  all  affection,  and  the  springs  of  all 
this  motion  would  be  gone,  and  the  motion  itself  would  cease. 
And,  as  in  worldly  things,  worldly  affections  are  very  much  the 
spring  of  mens  motions  and  actions;  so  in  religious  matters,  the 
spring  of  their  actions  is  very  much  religious  affections:  he  that 
has  doctrinal  knowledge  and  speculation  only,  without  affection, 
never  is  engaged  in  the  business  of  religion. 

3.  Nothing  is  more  manifest  in  fact  than  that  the  things  of  re- 
ligion take  hold  of  mens  souls  no  further  than  they  affect  them. 
There  are  multitudes  that  often  hear  the  word  of  God,  and  therein 
hear  of  those  things  that  are  infinitely  great  and  important,  and  that 
most  nearly  concern  them,  and  all  that  is  heard  seems  to  be  wholly 
ineffectual  upon  them,  and  to  make  no  alteration  in  their  disposi- 
tion or  behaviour;  and  the  reason  is,  they  are  not  affected  Avith 
Tivhat  they  hear.  There  are  many  that  often  hear  the  glorious 
perfections  of  God,  his  almighty  poAver  and  boundless  wisdom, 
his  infinite  majesty  and  that  holiness  of  God,  by  which  he  is  of 
purer  eyes  than  to  behold  evil,  and  can  not  look  on  iniquity,  and 
the  heavens  are  not  pure  in  his  sight,  and  of  God's  infinite  good- 
ness and  mercy,  and  hear  of  the  great  works  of  God's  wisdom, 
power  and  goodness,  wherein  there  appear  the  admirable  mani- 
festations of  these  perfections;  they  hear  particularly  of  the  un- 
speakable love  of  God  and  Christ,  and  of  the  great  things  that 
Christ  has  done  and  suffered,  and  of  the  great  things  of  another 
world,  of  eternal  misery  in  bearing  the  fierceness  and  wrath  of 
Almighty  God,  and  of  endless  blessedness  and  glory  in  the  pre- 
sence of  God,  and  the  enjoyment  of  his  dear  love!  they  also  hear 
the  peremptory  commands  of  God  and  his  gracious  counsels  and 
warnings,  and  the  sweet  invitations  of  the  gospel;  I  say,  they  of- 
ten hear  these  things,  and  yet  remain  as  they  were  before,  with 
no  sensible  alteration  on  them,  either  in  heart  or  practice,  because 
they  are  not  affected  with  what  they  hear;  and  ever  will  be  so  till 
they  are  affected.  I  am  bold  to  assert  that  there  never  was  any 
considerable  change  wrought  in  the  mind  or  conversation  of  any 
person,  by  any  thing  of  a  religious  nature  that  ever  he  read,  heard 
or  saw,  that  had  not  his  affections  moved.     Never  was  a  natural 


24  RELIGION  CONSISTS  MUCH 

man  engaged  earnestly  to  seek  his  salvation;  never  were  any  such 
brought  to  cry  after  wisdom,  and  lift  up  their  voice  for  under- 
standing, and  to  wrestle  with  God  in  prayer  for  mercy ;  and  never 
was  one  humbled  and  brought  to  the  foot  of  God,  from  any  thing 
that  ever  he  heard  or  imagined  of  his  own  unworthiness  and  de- 
serving of  God's  displeasure;  nor  was  ever  one  induced  to  fly  for 
refuge  unto  Christ,  while  his  heart  remained  unaffected.  Nor 
was  there  ever  a  saint  awakened  out  of  a  cold,  lifeless  frame,  or 
recovered  from  a  declining  state  in  religion,  and  brought  back 
from  a  lamentable  departure  from  God,  without  having  his  heart 
affected.  And,  in  a  word,  there  never  was  any  thing  consfdera- 
ble  brought  to  pass  in  the  heart  or  life  of  any  man  living,  by  the 
things  of  religion,  that  had  not  his  heart  deeply  affected  by  those 
things. 

4.  The  holy  scriptures  do  every  where  place  religion  very 
much  in  the  affections;  such  as  fear,  hope,  love,  hatred,  desire, 
joy,  sorrow,  gratitude,  compassion,  and  zeal. 

The  scriptures  place  much  of  religion  in  godly  fear;  insomuch, 
that  it  is  often  spoken  of  as  the  character  of  those  that  are  truly 
religious  persons,  that  they  tremble  at  God's  word,  that  they  fear 
before  him,  that  their  flesh  trembles  for  fear  of  him,  and  that  they 
are  afraid  of  his  judgments,  that  his  excellency  makes  them  afraid, 
and  his  dread  falls  upon  them,  and  the  like;  and  a  compellation 
commonly  given  the  saints  in  scripture,  is,  "  fearers  of  God,"  or 
"  they  that  fear  the  Lord."  And  because  the  fear  of  God  is  a 
great  part  of  true  godliness,  hence  true  godliness  in  general  is  very 
commonly  called  by  the  name  of  the  fear  of  God;  as  every  one 
knows  that  knows  any  thing  of  the  Bible. 

So  hope  in  God  and  in  the  promises  of  his  word,  is  often  spo- 
ken of  in  the  scripture,  as  a  very  considerable  part  of  true  reli- 
gion. It  is  mentioned  as  one  of  the  three  great  things  of  which 
religion  consists,  1  Cor.  xiii.  23.  Hope  in  the  Lord  is  also  fre- 
quently mentioned  as  the  character  of  the  saints:  Psalms  cxlvi. 
5.  "  Happy  is  he  who  hath  the  God  of  Jacob  for  his  help,  whose 
hope  is  in  the  Lord  his  God."  Jer.  xvii.  7.  "  Blessed  is  the  man 
that  trusteth  in  the  Lord,  and  whose  hope  the  Lord  is,"  Psal. 


IN  HOLY  AFFECTIONS.  25 

xxxi.  24.  "  Be  of  good  courage,  and  he  shall  strengthen  your 
heart,  all  ye  that  hope  in  the  Lord."  And  the  like  in  many 
other  places.  Religious  fear  and  hope  are  once  and  again  joined 
together,  as  jointly  constituting  the  character  of  the  true  saints; 
Psal.  xxxiii.  18.  "  Behold,  the  eye  of  the  Lord  is  upon  them 
that  fear  him,  upon  them  that  hope  in  his  mercy."  Psal.  cxlvii. 
11.  "  The  Lord  taketh  pleasure  in  them  that  fear  him,  in  those 
that  hope  in  his  mercy."  Hope  is  so  great  a  part  of  true  religion, 
that  the  apostle  says,  "  we  are  saved  by  hope,"  Rom.  viii.  24. 
And  this  is  spoken  of  as  the  helmet  of  the  Christian  soldier, 
1  Thess.  V,  8.  "  And  for  an  helmet,  the  hope  of  salvation;"  and 
the  sure  and  steadfast  anchor  of  the  soul,  which  preserves  it 
from  being  cast  away  by  the  storms  of  this  evil  world,  Heb.  vi. 
19.  "  Which  hope  we  have  as  an  anchor  of  the  soul,  both  sure 
and  steadfast,  and  which  entereth  into  that  within  the  vail."  It 
is  spoken  of  as  a  great  fruit  and  benefit  which  true  saints  re- 
ceive by  Christ's  resurrection,  1  Pet.  i.  3.  "  Blessed  be  the  God 
and  Father  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  which  according  to  his 
abundant  mercy  hath  begotten  us  again  unto  a  lively  hope,  by 
the  resurrection  of  Jesus  Christ  from  the  dead." 

The  scriptures  place  religion  very  much  in  the  affection  of  love, 
in  love  to  God  and  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  love  to  the  people 
of  God,  and  to  mankind.  The  texts  in  which  this  is  manifest, 
both  in  the  Old  Testament  and  New,  are  innumerable.  But  of 
this  more  afterwards. 

The  contrary  affection  of  hatred  also,  as  having  sin  for  its  ob- 
ject, is  spoken  of  in  scripture  as  no  inconsiderable  part  of  true 
religion.  It  is  spoken  of  as  that  by  which  true  religion  may  be 
known  and  distinguished,  Prov.  viii.  13.  "  The  fear  of  the  Lord 
is  to  hate  evil."  And  accordingly  the  saints  are  called  upon  to 
give  evidence  of  their  sincerity  by  this,  Psal.  xcvii,  10.  "  Ye 
that  love  the  Lord,  hate  evil,"  And  the  Psalmist  often  mentions 
it  as  an  evidence  of  his  sincerity;  Psal,  ci.  2,  3.  "  I  will  walk 
within  my  house  with  a  perfect  heart.  I  will  set  no  wicked  thing 
before  mine  eyes:  I  hate  the  work  of  them  that  turn  aside." 
Psal.  cxix.  104.     "  I  hate  every  false  way."     So  verse  128. 


26  RELIGION  CONSISTS  MUCH 

Again,  Psal.  cxxxix.  21,  "  Do  I  not  hate  them,  0  Lord,  that 
hate  thee." 

So  holy  desire,  exercised  in  longings,  hungerings  and  thirstings 
after  God  and  holiness,  is  often  mentioned  in  scripture  as  an  im- 
portant part  of  true  religion;  Isa.  xxvi.  8.  "  The  desire  of  our 
soul  is  to  thy  name,  and  to  the  remembrance  of  thee."  Psal. 
xxvii.  4.  "  One  thing  have  I  desired  of  the  Lord,  and  that  will 
I  seek  after,  that  I  may  dwell  in  the  house  of  the  Lord  all  the 
days  of  my  life,  to  behold  the  beauty  of  the  Lord,  and  to  inquire 
in  his  temple."  Psal.  xlii.  1,2.  "  As  the  hart  panteth  after  the 
water  brooks,  so  panteth  my  soul  after  thee,  0  God;  my  soul 
thirsteth  for  God,  for  the  living  God:  when  shall  I  come  and 
appear  before  God?"  Psal.  Ixiii.  1,2.  "  My  soul  thirsteth  for 
thee;  my  flesh  longeth  for  thee  in  a  dry  and  thirsty  land,  where 
no  water  is,  to  see  thy  power  and  thy  glory,  so  as  I  have  seen 
thee  in  the  sanctuary."  Psal.  Ixxxiv.  1,2.  "  How  amiable  are 
thy  tabernacles,  0  Lord  of  hosts  !  My  soul  longeth,  yea,  even 
fainteth  for  the  courts  of  the  Lord:  my  heart  and  my  flesh  crieth 
out  for  the  living  God."  Psal.  cxix.  20.  "  My  soul  breaketh  for 
the  longing  that  it  hath  unto  thy  judgments  at  all  times,"  So 
Psal.  Ixxiii.  25.  and  cxliii.  6,  7.  and  cxxx.  6.  Cant,  iii,  1,  2.  and 
vi.  8.  Such  a  holy  desire  and  thirst  of  soul  is  mentioned  as  one 
of  those  great  things  which  renders  or  denotes  a  man  truly  bles- 
sed, in  the  beginning  of  Christ's  sermon  on  the  mount,  Matth. 
v.  6;  "  Blessed  are  they  that  do  hunger  and  thirst  after  righ- 
teousness; for  they  shall  be  filled."  And  this  holy  thirst  is  spoken 
of  as  a  great  thing  in  the  condition  of  a  participation  of  the 
blessings  of  eternal  life.  Rev.  xxi.  6.  "  I  will  give  unto  him  that 
is  athirst  of  the  fountain  of  the  water  of  life  freely." 

The  scriptures  speak  of  holy  joy,  as  a  great  part  of  true  reli- 
gion. So  it  is  represented  in  the  text.  And,  as  an  important  part 
of  religion,  it  is  often  exhorted  to,  and  pressed  with  great  earnest- 
ness; Psal.  xxxvii.  4.  "  Delight  thyself  in  the  Lord,  and  he  shall 
give  thee  the  desires  of  thine  heart."  Psal.  xcvii.  12.  "  Rejoice 
in  the  Lord,  ye  righteous."  So  Psal.  xxxiii.  1.  "  Rejoice  in  the 
Lord,  0  ye  righteous."  Matth.  v.  12.    "  Rejoice  and  be  exceed- 


IN  HOLY  AFFECTIONS.  27 

ing  glad."  Phil.  iii.  1,  "  Finally,  brethren,  rejoice  in  the  Lord." 
And  chap.  iv.  4.  "  Rejoice  in  the  Lord  alway:  and  again,  I  say, 
rejoice."  1  Thess.  v.  16.  "  Rejoice  evermore."  Psal.  cxiix.  2. 
"  Let  Israel  rejoice  in  him  that  made  him:  let  the  children  of 
Zion  be  joyful  in  their  King."  This  is  mentioned  among  the 
principal  fruits  of  the  Spirit  of  grace.  Gal.  v.  22.  "  The  fruit  of 
the  Spirit  is  love,  joy,"  &c. — The  Psalmist  mentions  his  holy  joy, 
as  an  evidence  of  his  sincerity.  Psal.  cxix.  14.  "I  have  rejoiced 
in  the  way  of  thy  testimonies,  as  much  as  in  all  riches." 

Religious  sorrow,  mourning,  and  brokenness  of  heart,  are  also 
frequently  spoken  of  as  a  great  part  of  true  religion.  These  things 
are  often  mentioned  as  distinguishing  qualities  of  tlie  true  saints, 
and  a  great  part  of  their  character;  Matth.  v.  4.  "  Blessed  are 
they  that  mourn,  for  they  shall  be  comforted."  Psal.  xxxiv.  18. 
"  The  Lord  is  nigh  unto  them  that  are  of  a  broken  heart;  and 
savetli  such  as  be  of  a  contrite  spirit."  Isa.  Ixi.  1,2.  "  The 
Lord  hath  anointed  me,  to  bind  up  the  broken-hearted,  to  com- 
fort all  that  mourn."  This  godly  sorrow  and  brokenness  of  heart 
is  often  spoken  of,  not  only  as  a  great  thing  in  the  distinguishing 
character  of  the  saints;  but  that  in  them  which  is  peculiarly  ac- 
ceptable and  pleasing  to  God;  Psal.  li.  17.  "  The  sacrifices  of 
God  are  a  broken  spirit :  a  broken  and  a  contrite  heart,  O  God, 
thou  wilt  not  despise."  Isa.  Ivii.  15.  "  Thus  saith  the  high  and 
lofty  one,  that  inhabiteth  eternity,  whose  name  is  holy,  I  dwell 
in  the  high  and  holy  place;  with  him  also  that  is  of  a  contrite 
and  humble  spirit,  to  revive  the  spirit  of  the  humble,  and  to  re- 
vive the  heart  of  the  contrite  ones."  Chap.  Ixvi.  2.  "  To  this 
man  will  I  look,  even  to  him  that  is  poor,  and  of  a  contrite 
spirit." 

Another  affection  often  mentioned,  as  that  in  the  exercise  of 
which  much  of  true  religion  appears,  is  gratitude;  especially  as 
exercised  in  thankfulness  and  praise  to  God.  This  being  so  much 
spoken  of  in  the  book  of  Psalms,  and  other  parts  of  the  holy  scrip- 
tures, I  need  not  mention  particular  texts. 

Again,  the  holy  scriptures  do  frequently  speak  of  compassion 
or  mercy,  as  a  very  great  and  essential  thing  in  true  religion;  in- 


28  RELIGION    CONSISTS    MUCH 

somuch,  that  good  men  are  in  scripture  denominated  from  hence; 
and  a  merciful  man  and  a  good  man  are  equivalent  ternis  in 
scripture.  Isa.  xlvii.  1.  "  The  righteous  perisheth,  and  no  man 
layeth  it  to  heart;  and  merciful  men  are  taken  away."  And  the 
scripture  chooses  out  this  quality,  as  that  by  which,  in  a  peculiar 
manner,  a  righteous  man  is  decyphered.  Psal,  xxxvii.  21,  "  The 
righteous  showeth  mercy,  and  giveth:"  and  ver.  g.  "  He  is  ever 
merciful,  and  lendeth."  And  Prov.  xiv.  31.  "  He  that  honoureth 
the  Lord,  hath  mercy  on  the  poor."  And  Col,  iii.  12.  "  Put  ye 
on,  as  the  elect  of  God,  holy  and  beloved,  bowels  of  mercies,"  &c. 
This  is  one  of  those  great  things  by  which  those  who  are  truly 
blessed  are  described  by  our  Saviour,  Malt.  v.  7,  "  Blessed  are 
the  merciful,  for  they  shall  obtain  mercy,"  And  this  Christ  also 
speaks  of  as  one  of  the  weightier  matters  of  the  law,  Matt,  xxiii. 
23.  "  Wo  unto  you,  scribes  and  pharisees,  hypocrites,  for  ye  pay 
tithe  of  mint,  and  anise,  and  cummin,  and  have  omitted  the 
weightier  matters  of  the  law,  judgment,  mercy,  and  faith."  To 
the  like  purpose  is  that,  Mic.  vi.  8.  "  He  hath  showed  thee,  O 
man,  what  is  good:  and  what  doth  the  Lord  require  of  thee,  but 
to  do  justice,  and  love  mercy,  and  walk  humbly  with  thy  God.'" 
And  also  that  Hos.  vi.  6.  ••'  For  I  desired  mercy,  and  not  sacri- 
fice:" which  seems  to  have  been  a  text  much  delighted  in  by  our 
Saviour,  by  his  manner  of  citing  it  once  and  again,  Matt.  ix.  13. 
and  xii.  7. 

Zeal  is  also  spoken  of  as  a  very  essential  part  of  the  religion  of 
true  saints.  It  is  spoken  of  as  a  great  thing  Christ  had  in  view, 
in  giving  himself  for  our  redemption.  Tit.  ii.  14.  "  Who  gave 
himself  for  us,  that  he  might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,  and 
purify  mito  himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good  works." 
And  this  is  spoken  of  as  the  great  thing  wanting  in  the  lukewarm 
Laodicians,  Rev.  iii.  15,  16,  19. 

I  have  mentioned  but  a  few  texts,  out  of  an  innumerable  mul- 
titude, all  over  the  scripture,  which  place  religion  very  much  in 
the  affections.  But  what  has  been  observed,  may  be  sufficient  to 
show  that  Ihey  who  would  deny  that  much  of  true  religion  lies  in 
the  afiections,  and  maintain  the  contrary,  must  throw  away  what 


IN  HOLY  AFFECTIONS.  29 

we  have  been  wont  to  own  for  our  Bible,  and  get  some  other  rule, 
bj  which  to  judge  of  the  nature  of  religion. 

5.  The  scriptures  do  represent  true  religion  as  being  summarily 
comprehended  in  love,  the  chief  of  the  affections  and  fountain  of 
all  other  ajfTections. 

So  our  blessed  Saviour  represents  the  matter,  in  answer  to  the 
lawyer,  who  asked  him,  which  was  the  great  commandment  of 
the  law,  Matt.  xxii.  37 — 40.  "  Jesus  said  unto  him.  Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God,  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul, 
and  with  all  thy  mind.  This  is  the  first  and  great  commandment. 
And  the  second  is  like  unto  it,  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as 
thyself.  On  these  two  commandments  hang  all  the  law  and  the 
prophets,"  which  last  words  signify  as  much,  as  that  these  two 
comnandments  comprehend  all  the  duty  prescribed,  and  the  reli- 
gion tiught  in  the  law  and  the  prophets.  And  the  apostle  Paul 
does  rom  time  to  time  make  the  same  representation  of  the 
matter;  as  in  Rom.  xxiii.  8.  "  He  that  loveth  another  hath  ful- 
filled the  law."  And  ver.  10.  "  Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law." 
And  Gal.  v.  14.  "  For  all  the  law  is  fulfilled  in  one  word,  even 
in  ths.  Thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself."  So  likewise 
in  1  Tim.  1.5.  "  Now  the  end  of  the  commandment  is  charity  out 
of  a  pure  heart,"  &c.  So  the  same  apostle  speaks  of  love,  as  the 
grettest  thing  in  religion,  and  as  the  vitals,  essence  and  soul  of  it; 
witiout  which  the  greatest  knowledge  and  gifts,  and  the  most 
glo-ing  profession  and  every  thing  else  which  appertains  to  reli- 
gia,  a^  vain  and  worthless;  and  represents  it  as  the  fountain 
frm  whence  proceeds  all  that  is  good,  in  1  Cor,  xiii.  through- 
oi;  for  that  which  is  there  ^endered  charity ^  in  the  original  is 
ei'Trin))^  the  proper  English  of  which  is  love. 

Now,  although  it  be  true,  that  the  love  thus  spoken  of,  includes 
he  whole  of  a  sincerely  benevolent  propensity  of  the  soul,  towards 
3!od  and  man;  yet  it  may  be  considered,  that  it  is  evident  from 
tvhat  has  been  before  observed,  that  this  propensity  or  inclination 
of  the  soul,  when  in  sensible  and  vigorous  exercise,  becomes  af- 
fection, and  is  no  other  than  affectionate  love.  And  surely,  it  is 
such  vigorous  and  fervent  love,  which  Christ  speaks  of  as  the 


30  RELIGION  CONSISTS    MUCH 

sum  of  all  religion,  when  he  speaks  of  loving  God  with  all  our 
hearts,  with  all  our  souls,  and  with  all  our  minds,  and  our  neigh- 
bour as  ourselves,  as  the  sum  of  all  that  was  taught  and  pre- 
scribed in  the  law  and  the  prophets. 

Indeed  it  cannot  be  supposed,  when  this  affection  of  love  is 
here,  and  in  other  scriptures,  spoken  of  as  the  sum  of  all  reli- 
gion, that  hereby  is  meant  the  act,  exclusive  of  the  habit,  or  that 
the  exercise  of  the  understanding  is  excluded,  which  is  implied 
in  all  reasonable  affection.  But  k  is  doubtless  true,  and  evident 
from  these  scriptures,  that  the  essence  of  all  true  religion  lies  in 
holy  love;  and  that  in  this  divine  affection,  and  an  habitual  dis- 
position to  it,  and  that  light,  which  is  the  foundation  of  it,  and 
those  things  which  are  the  fruit  of  it,  consists  the  whole  of  re- 
ligion. 

From  hence  it  clearly  and  certainly  appears,  that  great  part  of 
true  religion  consists  in  the  affections.  For  love  is  not  oijly  one 
of  the  affections,  but  is  the  first  and  chief  of  the  affection),  and 
the  fountain  of  all  the  affections.  From  love  arises  hatted  of 
those  things  which  are  contrary  to  what  we  love,  or  which  oppose 
and  thwart  us  in  those  things  that  we  delight  in;  and  from  the  vari- 
ous exercises  of  love  and  hatred,  according  to  the  circumst^ices 
of  the  objects  of  these  affections,  as  present  or  absent,  certaai  or 
uncertain,  probable  or  improljable,  arise  all  those  other  affecions 
of  desire,  hope,  fear,  joy,  grief,  gratitude,  anger,  &c.  Frctn  a 
vigorous,  affectionate,  and  fervent  love  of  God,  will  necessa*ily 
arise  other  religious  affections;  hence  will  arise  an  intense  hat-ed 
and  abhorrence  of  sin,  fear  of  sin,  and  a  dread  of  God's  displa- 
sure,  gratitude  to  God  for  his  goodness,  complacence  and  j>y 
in  God,  when  God  is  graciously  and  sensibly  present,  and  grif, 
when  he  is  absent,  and  a  joyful  hope,  when  a  future  enjoymek 
of  God  is  expected,  and  fervent  zeal  for  the  glory  of  God.  An\ 
in  like  manner,  from  a  fervent  love  to  men,  will  arise  all  othe\ 
virtuous  affections  towards  men. 

6.  The  religion  of  the  most  eminent  saints,  we  have  an  account 
of  in  the  scripture,  consisted  much  in  holy  affections. 

I  shall  take  particular  notice  of  three  eminent  saints,  who 


IN  HOLY    AFFECTIONS.  31 

have  expressed  the  frame  and  sentiments  of  their  own  hearts,  and 
so  described  their  own  religion,  and  the  manner  of  their  inter- 
course with  God,  in  the  writings  which  they  have  left  us,  that 
are  a  part  of  the  sacred  canon. 

The  first  instance  I  shall  take  notice  of  is  David,  that  "  man 
after  God's  own  heart,"  who  has  given  us  a  lively  portraiture  of 
his  religion  in  the  book  of  Psalms.  Those  holy  songs  of  his,  he  has 
there  left  us,  are  nothing  else  than  the  expressions  and  breathings 
of  devout  and  holy  affections;  such  as  an  humble  and  fervent  love 
to  God,  admiration  of  his  glorious  perfections  and  wonderful 
works,  earnest  desires,  thirstings,  and  pantings  of  soul  after  God, 
delight  and  joy  in  God,  a  sweet  and  melting  gratitude  to  God  for 
his  great  goodness,  an  holy  exultation  and  triumph  of  soul  in  the 
favour,  sufficiency  and  faithfulness  of  God,  his  love  to  and  delight 
in  the  saints,  the  excellent  of  the  earth,  his  great  delight  in  the 
word  and  ordinances  of  God,  his  grief  for  his  own  and  odiers 
sins,  and  his  fervent  zeal  for  God,  and  against  the  enemies  of  God 
and  his  church.  And  these  expressions  of  holy  affection,  which 
the  Psalms  of  David  are  every  where  full  of,  are  the  more  to  our 
present  purpose,  because  those  psalms  are  not  only  the  expressions 
of  the  religion  of  so  eminent  a  saint,  that  God  speaks  of,  as  so 
agreeable  to  his  mind;  but  were  also,  by  the  direction  of  the  Ho- 
ly Ghost,  penned  for  the  use  of  the  church  of  God  in  its  public 
worship,  not  only  in  that  age,  but  in  after  ages,  as  being  fitted  to 
express  the  religion  of  all  saints,  in  all  ages;  as  well  as  the  reli- 
gion of  the  Psalmist.  And  it  is  moreover  to  be  observed,  that 
David,  in  the  book  of  Psalms,  speaks  not  as  a  private  person,  but 
as  the  Psalmist  of  Israel,  as  the  subordinate  head  of  the  church 
of  God,  and  leader  in  their  worship  and  praises;  and  in  many  of 
the  psalms,  speaks  in  the  name  of  Christ,  as  personating  him  in 
these  breathings  forth  of  holy  affection;  and  in  many  other  psalms 
he  speaks  in  the  name  of  the  church. 

Another  instance,  I  shall  observe,  is  the  apostle  Paul,  who  was 
in  many  respects  the  chief  of  all  the  ministers  of  the  New  Tes- 
tament; being  above  all  others  a  chosen  vessel  unto  Christ,  to 
bear  his  name  before  the  Gentiles,  and  made  the  chief  instru- 


32  RELIGION  CONSISTS  MUCH 

ment  of  propagating  and  establishing  the  christian  church  in  the 
world,  and  of  distinctly  revealing  the  glorious  mysteries  of  the  gos- 
pel, for  the  instruction  of  the  church  in  all  ages;  and  (as  has  not 
been  improbably  thought  by  some)  the  most  eminent  servant  of 
Christ  that  ever  lived,  received  to  the  highest  rewards  in  the  hea- 
venly kingdom  of  his  Master.  By  what  is  said  of  him  in  the  scrip- 
ture, he  appears  to  have  been  a  person  that  was  full  of  affection. 
And  it  is  very  manifest  that  the  religion  he  expresses  in  his  epis- 
tles, consisted  very  much  in  holy  atfections.  It  appears,  by  all 
his  expressions  of  himself,  that  he  was,  in  the  course  of  his  life, 
inflamed,  actuated,  and  entirely  swallowed  up,  by  a  most  ardent 
love  to  his  glorious  Lord,  esteeming  all  thing's  as  loss  for  the  ex- 
cellency and  knowledge  of  him,  and  esteeming  them  but  dung 
that  he  might  win  him.  He  represents  himself  as  overpowered 
by  this  holy  affection,  and  as  it  were,  compelled  by  it  to  go  for- 
ward in  his  service,  through  all  difficulties  and  sufferings,  2  Cor. 
V.  14,  15.  And  his  epistles  are  full  of  expressions  of  an  over- 
flowing affection  towards  the  people  of  Christ.  He  speaks,  of  his 
dear  love  to  them,  2  Cor.  xii.  19.  Phil.  iv.  1.  2  Tim.  i.  2.;  of 
his  "  abundant  love,"  2  Cor.  ii.  4.;  and  of  his  "  affectionate  and 
tender  love,"  as  of  a  nurse  towards  her  children,  1  Thes.  ii.  7,8. 
*'  But  we  were  gentle  among  you,  ever  as  a  nurse  cherished  her 
children:  so  being  affectionately  desirous  of  you,  we  were  willing 
to  have  imparted  unto  you,  not  the  Gospel  of  God  only,  but  also 
our  own  souls,  because  ye  were  dear  unto  us."  So  also  he  speaks 
of  his  "bowels  of  love."  Phil.  i.  8.  Philem.  v.  12.  and  20.  So 
he  speaks  of  his  "earnest  care"  for  others,  2  Cor.  viii.  16.  and 
of  his  "bowels  of  pity,  or  mercy,  towards  them,  Phil.  ii.  1.  and 
of  his  concern  for  others,  even  to  anguish  of  heart,  2  Cor.  ii.  4. 
"  For  out  of  much  affliction  and  anguish  of  heart,  I  wrote  unto 
you  with  many  tears;  not  that  you  should  be  grieved,  but  that  ye 
might  know  the  love  which  I  have  more  abundantly  unto  you." 
He  speaks  of  the  great  conflict  of  his  soul  for  them.  Col.  ii.  1.  He 
speaks  of  the  great  and  continual  grief  that  he  had  in  his  heart 
from  compassion  to  the  Jews,  Rom.  ix.  2.  He  speaks  of  his 
mouth  being  opened  and  his  heart  enlarged"  towards  Christians, 


IN  HOLY  AFFECTIONS.  33 

2  Cor.  vl,  11.     "0  ye  Corinthians,  our  mouth  is  open  unto  you, 
our  heart  is  enlarged."  He  often  speaks  of  his  "  affectionate  and 
longing  desires,"  1  Thess.  ii.  8.  Rom.  i.  11.  Phil,  i.  8.  and  chap. 
iv.  1.  2  Tim.  i.  4.     The  same  apostle  is  very  often,  in  his  epis- 
tles, expressing  the  affection  of  joy,  2  Cor.  i.  12.  and  chap.  vii.  7. 
and  ver.  9,  16.  Phil.  i.  4,  and  chap.  ii.  12.  and  chap.  iii.  3.  Col. 
i.  24.  1  Thess.  iii.  9.    He  speaks  of  his  "  rejoicing  with  great 
joy,"  Phil.  iv.  10.  Philem.  i.  7.  of  his  "  joying  and  rejoicing," 
Phil.  ii.  I,  7,  and  of  his  "  rejoicing  exceedingly,"  2  Cor.  vii.  13. 
and  of  his  being  "  filled  with  comfort,  and  being  exceeding  joy- 
ful," 2  Cor.  vii.  4.  He  speaks  of  himself  as  "  always  rejoicing," 
■2  Cor.  vi.  10.     So  he  speaks  of  the  triumphs  of  his  soul,  2  Cor. 
.  ii.  14.  and  of  his  "  glorying  in  tribulation,"  2  Thess.  i.  4.   and 
Rom.  V.  3.     He  also  expresses  the  affection  of  hope,  in  Phil.  i. 
20.  he  speaks  of  his  "  earnest  expectation,  and  his  hope,"     He 
likewise  expresses  an  affection  of  godly  jealousy,  2  Cor.  xi.  2,  3. 
And  it  appears  by  his  whole  history,  after  his  conversion,  in  the 
Acts,  and  also  by  all  his  epistles,  and  the  accounts  he  gives  of 
himself  there,  that  the  affection  of  zeal,  as  having  the  cause  of  his 
Master,  and  the  interest  and  prosperity  of  his  church  for  its  ob- 
ject, was  mighty  in  him,  continually  inflaming  his  heart,  strong- 
ly engaging,  to  those  great  and  constant  labours  he  went  through, 
in  instructing,  exhorting,  warning,  and  reproving  others,  "  tra- 
vailing in  birth  with  them;"  conflicting  with  those  powerful  and 
innumerable  enemies   who  continually  opposed  him,  wrestling 
with  principalities  and  powers,  not  fighting  as  one  who  beats  the 
air,  running  the  race  set  before  him,  continually  pressing  for- 
wards through  all  manner  of  difficulties  and  sufferings;  so  that 
others  thought  him  quite  beside  himself.     And  how  full  he  was 
of  affection   does  further  appear  by  his  being  so  full  of  tears:  in 
2  Cor.  ii.  4,  he  speaks  of  his  "  many  tears,"  and  so  Acts  xx.  19; 
and  of  his  "  tears  that  he  shed  continually  night  and  day,"  ver.  31. 
Now  if  any  one  can  consider  these  accounts  given  in  the  scrip- 
ture of  this  great  apostle,  and  which  he  gives  of  himself,  and  jet 
not  see  that  his  religion  consisted  much  in  affection,  must  have  a 


34  RELIGION  CONSISTS  MUCH 

strange  faculty  of  managing  his  eyes,  to  shut  out  the  light  that 
shines  most  full  in  his  face. 

The  other  instance  I  shall  mention,  is  of  the  apostle  John,  that 
beloved  disciple,  who  was  the  nearest  and  dearest  to  his  Master 
of  any  of  the  twelve,  and  was  by  him  admitted  to  the  greatest 
privileges  of  any  of  them;  being  not  only  one  of  the  three  who 
were  admitted  to  be  present  with  him  in  the  mount  at  his  trans- 
figuration, and  at  the  raising  of  Jairus's  daughter,  and  whom  he 
took  with  him  when  he  was  in  his  agony,  and  one  of  the  three 
spoken  of  by  the  apostle  Paul,  as  the  three  main  pillars  of  the 
christian  church;  but  was  favoured  above  all,  in  being  admitted 
to  lean  on  his  INlaster's  bosom  at  his  last  supper,  and  in  being 
chosen  by  Christ,  as  the  disciple  to  whom  he  would  reveal  his 
wonderful  dispensations  towards  his  church,  to  the  end  of  time, 
as  we  have  an  account  of  in  the  Book  of  Revelation;  and  to  shut 
up  the  canon  of  the  New  Testament,  and  of  the  whole  scripture; 
being  preserved  much  longer  than  all  the  rest  of  the  apostles,  to 
set  all  things  in  order  in  the  christian  church,  after  their  death. 

It  is  evident  by  all  his  writings,  (as  is  generally  observed  by  di- 
vines), that  he  was  a  person  remarkably  full  of  affection  :  his  ad- 
dresses to  those  whom  he  wrote  to,  being  inexpressibly  tender 
and  pathetical,  breathing  nothing  but  the  most  fervent  love ;  as 
though  he  were  all  made  up  of  sweet  and  holy  affection.  The 
proofs  of  which  cannot  be  given  without  disadvantage,  unless  we 
should  transcribe  his  whole  writings. 

7.  He  whom  God  sent  into  the  world  to  be  the  light  of  the 
world,  and  head  of  the  whole  church,  and  the  perfect  example  of 
true  religion  and  virtue,  for  the  imitation  of  all,  the  Shepherd 
whom  the  whole  flock  should  follow  where  ever  he  goes,  even  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ,  was  a  person  who  was  remarkably  of  a  tender 
and  affectionate  heart ;  and  his  virtue  was  expressed  very  much 
in  the  exercise  of  holy  affections.  He  was  the  greatest  instance 
of  ardency,  vigour  and  strength  of  love,  to  both  God  and  man, 
that  ever  was.  It  was  these  affections,  which  got  the  victory  in 
that  mighty  struggle  and  conflict  of  his  affections,  in  his  agonies, 
when  "  he  prayed  more  earnestly,  and  offered  strong  crying  and 


IN  HOLY  AFFECTIONS.  35 

"  tears,"  and  wrestled  in  tears  and  in  blood.  Such  was  the  pow- 
er of  the  exercises  of  his  holy  love,  that  they  were  stronger  than 
death,  and  in  that  great  struggle  overcame  those  strong  exercises 
of  the  natural  affections  of  fear  and  grief,  when  he  was  sore 
amazed,  and  his  soul  was  exceeding  sorrowful,  even  unto  death. 
And  he  also  appeared  to  be  full  of  affection  in  the  course  of  his 
life.  We  read  of  his  great  zeal,  fulfilling  that  in  the  69th  Psalm, 
"  The  zeal  of  thine  house  hath  eaten  me  up,"  John  ii.  17.  We 
read  of  his  grief  for  the  sins  of  men,  Mark  iii.  5.  "  He  looked 
round  about  on  them  with  anger,  being  grieved  for  the  hardness 
of  their  hearts;"  and  his  breaking  forth  in  tears  and  excla- 
mations, from  the  consideration  of  the  sin  and  misery  of  ungodly 
men,  and  on  the  sight  of  the  city  of  Jerusalem,  which  was  full 
of  such  inhabitants,  Luke  xix.  41,  42.  "  And,  when  he  was 
come  near,  he  beheld  the  city,  and  wept  over  it,  saying,  If  thou 
hadst  known,  even  thou,  at  least  in  this  thy  day,  the  things 
which  belong  unto  thy  peace !  but  now  they  are  hid  from  thine 
eyes."  With  chap.  xiii.  34.  "  0  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  which  \ 
killest  the  prophets  and  stonest  them  that  are  sent  unto  thee:  | 
how  often  would  I  have  gathered  thy  children  together,  as 
a  hen  doth  gather  her  brood  under  her  wings,  and  ye  would 
not?"  We  read  of  Christ's  earnest  desire,  Luke  xxii.  15. 
"  With  desire  have  I  desired  to  eat  this  passover  with  you  be- 
fore I  suffer."  We  often  read  of  the  affection  of  pity  or  com- 
passion in  Christ,  Matth.  xv.  32.  and  xviii.  34.  Luke  vii,  13.  and 
of  his  "  being  moved  with  compassion,"  Matth.  ix.  36.  and  xiv. 
14.  and  Mark  vi.  34.  And  how  tender  did  his  heart  appear  to 
be  on  occasion  of  Mary  and  Martha's  mourning  for  their  bro- 
ther, and  coming  to  him  with  their  complaints  and  tears?  Their 
tears  soon  drew  tears  from  his  eyes;  he  was  affected  with  their 
grief,  and  wept  with  them  ;  though  he  knew  their  sorrow  should 
so  soon  be  turned  into  joy,  by  their  brother's  being  raised  from 
the  dead;  see  John  xi.  And  how  inefHibly  affectionate  was  that 
last  and  dying  discourse  which  Jesus  had  with  his  eleven  disci- 
ples the  evening  Jaefore  he  was  crucified;  when  he  told  them  he 
was  going  away,  and  foretold  them  the  great  dithculties  and  suf- 


36  RELIGION  CONSISTS  MUCH 

ferings  t!iey  sliould  meet  with  in  the  workl  when  he  was  gone; 
and  comforted  and  counselled  them,  as  his  dear  little  children; 
and  bequeathed  to  them  his  Holy  Spirit,  and  therein  his  peace, 
and  his  comfort  and  joy,  as  it  were  in  his  last  will  and  testament, 
in  the  13th,  14th,  15th  and  16th  chapters  of  John;  and  con- 
cluded the  whole  with  that  affectionate  intercessory  prayer  for 
them,  and  his  whole  church,  in  chap.  xvii.  Of  all  the  discourses 
ever  pemied,  or  uttered  by  the  mouth  of  any  man,  this  seems  to 
be  the  most  affectionate  and  affecting. 

8.  The  religion  of  heaven  consists  very  much  in  affection. 

There  is  doubtless  true  religion  in  heaven,  and  true  religion  in 
its  utmost  purity  and  perfection.  But,  according  to  the  scripture 
representation  of  the  heavenly  state,  the  religion  of  heaven  con- 
sists chiefly  in  holy  and  mighty  love  and  joy,  and  the  expression 
of  these  in  most  fervent  and  exalted  praises.  So  that  the  religion 
of  the  saints  in  heaven,  consists  in  the  same  thing  with  that  reli- 
gion of  the  saints  on  earth,  which  is  spoken  of  in  our  text,  viz. 
love,  and  "  joy  unspeakable,  and  full  of  glory."  Now,  it  would 
be  very  foolish  to  pretend,  that  because  the  saints  in  heaven  be 
not  united  to  flesh  and  blood,  and  have  no  animal  fluids  to  be 
moved  (through  the  laws  of  union  of  soul  and  body)  with  those 
great  emotions  of  their  souls,  that  therefore  their  exceeding  love 
and  joy  are  no  affections.  We  are  not  speaking  of  the  affections 
of  the  body,  but  of  the  affections  of  the  soul,  the  chief  of  which 
are  love  and  joy.  When  these  are  in  the  soul,  whether  that  be  in 
the  body  or  out  of  it,  the  soul  is  affected  and  moved.  And  wlien 
they  are  in  the  soul,  in  that  strength  in  which  they  are  in  the 
saints  in  heaven,  the  soul  is  mightily  affected  and  moved,  or  which 
is  the  same  thing,  has  great  affections.  It  is  true,  we  do  not  ex- 
perimentally know  what  love  and  joy  are  in  a  soul  out  of  a  body, 
or  in  a  glorified  body ;  i.  e.  we  have  not  had  experience  of  love 
and  joy  in  a  soul  in  these  circumstances ;  but  the  saints  on  earth 
do  know  what  divine  love  and  joy  in  the  soul  are,  and  they  know 
thit  love  and  joy  are  of  the  same  kind  with  the  love  and  joy 
which  are  in  heaven,  in  separate  souls  there.  The  love  and  joy 
of  the  saints  on  earth  is  the  beginning  and  dawning  of  the  light. 


IN  HOLY  AFFECTIONS.  37 

life,  and  blessedness  of  heaven,  and  is  like  their  love  and  joy 
there;  or  rather  the  same  in  nature,  though  not  the  same  with  it, 
or  like  to  it,  in  degree  or  circumstances.  This  is  evident  by 
many  scriptures,  as  Prov.  iv.  18.  John  iv.  14.  and  chap.  vi.  40, 
47,  50,  51,  54,  58.  1  John  iii.  15.  1  Cor.  xiii.  8—12.  It  is  un- 
reasonable therefore  to  suppose  that  the  love  and  joy  of  the  saints 
in  heaven,  not  only  differ  in  degree  and  circumstances  from  the 
holy  love  and  joy  of  the  saints  on  earth,  but  is  so  entirely  differ- 
ent in  nature,  that  they  are  no  affections;  and  merely  because 
they  have  no  blood  and  animal  spirits  to  be  set  in  motion  by 
them,  which  motion  of  the  blood  and  animal  spirits  is  not  of  the 
essence  of  these  affections  in  men  on  the  earth,  but  the  effect  of 
them;  although  by  their  reaction  they  may  make  some  circum- 
stantial difference  in  the  sensation  of  the  mind.  There  is  a  sen- 
sation of  the  mind  which  loves  and  rejoices,  that  is  antecedent  to 
any  effects  on  the  fluids  of  the  body;  and  this  sensation  of  the 
mind,  therefore,  does  not  depend  on  these  motions  in  the  body, 
and  so  may  be  in  the  soul  without  the  body.  And  wherever  there 
are  the  exercises  of  love  and  joy,  there  is  that  sensation  of  the 
mind,  whether  it  be  in  the  body  or  out;  and  that  inward  sensa- 
tion, or  kind  of  spritual  sense  or  feeling,  and  motion  of  the  soul, 
is  what  is  called  affection;  the  soul  wlien  it  thus  feels,  (if  I  may 
say  so),  and  is  thus  moved,  is  said  to  be  affected,  and  especially 
when  this  inward  sensation  and  motion  are  to  a  very  high  degree, 
as  they  are  in  the  saints  in  heaven.  If  we  can  learn  any  thing 
of  the  state  of  heaven  from  the  scripture;  the  love  and  joy  that 
the  saints  have  there  is  exceeding  great  and  vigorous;  im- 
pressing the  heart  with  the  strongest  and  most  lively  sensation  of 
inexpressible  SAveetness,  mightily  moving,  animating  and  engag- 
ing them,  making  them  like  to  a  flame  of  fire.  And  if  such  love 
and  joy  be  not  affections,  then  the  word  affection  is  of  no  use  in 
language. — Will  any  say  that  the  saints  in  heaven,  in  beholding 
the  face  of  their  Father,  and  the  glory  of  their  Redeemer,  and 
contemplating  his  wonderful  works,  and  particularly  his  laying 
down  his  life  for  them,  hove  their  hearls  nothing  moved  and  af- 
fected by  all  which  they  behold  or  consider? 


S8  RELIGION  CONSISTS  MUCH 

Hence,  therefore,  the  religion  of  heaven,  consisting  chiefly  in 
holy  love  and  joy,  consists  very  much  in  affection:  and,  therefore. 
Undoubtedly,  true  religion  consists  very  much  in  affection.  The 
way  to  learn  the  true  nature  of  any  thing,  is  to  go  where  that 
thing  is  to  be  found  in  its  purity  and  perfection.  If  we  would 
know  the  nature  of  true  gold,  we  must  view  it,  not  in  the  ore, 
but  when  it  is  refined.  If  we  would  learn  what  true  religion  is, 
we  must  go  where  there  is  true  religion,  and  nothing  but  true  re- 
ligion, and  in  its  highest  perfection,  without  any  defect  or  mix- 
ture. All  who  are  truly  religious  are  not  of  this  world,  they  are 
strangers  here,  and  belong  to  heaven;  they  are  born  from  above, 
heaven  is  their  native  country,  and  the  nature  which  they  re- 
ceive by  this  heavenly  birth,  is  an  heavenly  nature,  they  receive 
an  anointing  from  above;  that  principle  of  true  religion  which  is 
in  them,  is  a  communication  of  the  religion  of  heaven;  their  grace 
is  the  dawn  of  glory;  and  God  fits  them  for  that  world  by  con- 
\  forming  them  to  it. 

9,  This  appears  from  the  nature  and  design  of  the  ordinances 
and  duties,  which  God  hath  appointed,  as  means  and  expressions 
of  true  religion. 

To  instance  in  the  duty  of  prayer:  it  is  manifest  we  are  not 
appointed,  in  this  duty,  to  declare  God's  perfections,  his  majesty, 
holiness,  goodness  and  all  sufficiency,  and  our  own  meanness, 
emptiness,  dependence  and  unworthiness,  and  our  wants  and  de- 
sires, to  inform  God  of  these  things,  or  to  incline  his  heart,  and 
prevail  with  him  to  be  willing  to  show  us  mercy;  but  suitably  to 
affect  our  own  hearts  with  the  things  we  express,  and  so  to  pre- 
pare us  to  receive  the  blessings  we  ask.  And  such  gestures  and 
manner  of  external  behaviour  in  the  worship  of  God,  which  cus- 
tom has  made  to  be  significations  of  humility  and  reverence,  can 
be  of  no  further  use  than  as  they  have  some  tendency  to  affect 
our  own  hearts,  or  the  hearts  of  others. 

And  the  duty  of  singing  praises  to  God  seems  to  be  appointed 
wholly  to  excite  and  express  religious  affections.  No  other  reason 
can  be  assigned  why  we  should  express  ourselves  to  God  in  verse 
rather  than  in  prose,  and  do  it  with  music,  but  only,  that  such  is 


IN  HOLY  AFFECTIONS.  39 

our  nature  and  frame,  that  these  things  have  a  tendency  to  move 
our  affections. 

The  same  thing  appears  in  the  nature  and  design  of  the  sacra- 
ments^  which  God  hath  appointed,  God,  considering  our  frame, 
hath  not  only  appointed  that  Ave  should  be  told  of  the  great  things 
of  the  Gospel,  and  of  the  redemption  of  Christ,  and  instructed  in 
them  by  his  ivord;  but  also,  that  they  should  be,  as  it  were,  ex- 
hibited to  our  view  in  sensible  representations  in  the  sacraments, 
the  more  to  affect  us  with  them. 

And  the  impressing  divine  things  on  the  hearts  and  affections 
of  men,  is  evidently  one  great  and  main  end  for  which  God  has 
ordained  that  his  word,  delivered  in  the  holy  scriptures,  should 
be  opened,  applied,  and  set  home  upon  men,  in  preaching.  And 
therefore  it  does  not  answer  the  aim  which  God  had  in  this  insti- 
tution, merely  for  men  to  have  good  commentaries  and  expositions 
on  the  scripture,  and  other  good  books  of  divinity;  because,  al- 
though these  may  tend,  as  well  as  preaching,  to  give  men  a  good 
doctrinal  or  speculative  understanding  of  the  things  of  the  word 
of  God,  yet  they  have  not  an  equal  tendency  to  impress  them  on 
mens  hearts  and  affections.  God  hath  appointed  a  particular  and 
lively  application  of  his  word  to  men  in. the  preaching  of  it,  as  a 
fit  means  to  affect  sinners  with  the  importance  of  the  things  of 
religion,  and  their  own  misery  and  necessity  of  a  remedy,  and  the 
glory  and  sufficiency  of  a  remedy  provided;  and  to  stir  up  the 
pure  minds  of  the  saints  and  quicken  their  affections,  by  often 
bringing  the  great  things  of  religion  to  their  remembrance,  and 
setting  them  before  them  in  their  proper  colours,  though  they 
know  them  and  have  been  fully  instructed  in  them  already,  2  Pet, 
i.  12,  13.  And  particularly  to  promote  those  two  affections  in 
them  which  are  spoken  of  in  the  text,  love  and  joy:  "  Christ  gave 
some,  apostles;  and  some,  prophets;  and  some,  evangelists;  and 
some,  pastors  and  teachers;  that  the  body  of  Christ  might  be  edi- 
fied in  love,  Eph,  iv.  11,  12,  16.  The  apostle  in  instructing  and 
counselling  Timothy,  concerning  the  work  of  the  ministry,  in- 
forms him  that  the  great  end  of  that  word  which  a  minister  is  to 
preach,  is  love  or  charity,  1  Tim.  i.  3,  4,  5.     And  another  af- 


40  RELIGION  CONSISTS  MUCH 

fection  which  God  has  appointed  preaching  as  a  means  to  pro- 
mote in  the  saints,  is  joy;  and  therefore  ministers  are  called 
"  helpers  of  their  joy,"  2  Cor.  i.  24. 

10.  It  is  an  evidence  that  true  religion,  or  holiness  of  heart, 
lies  very  much  in  the  affection  of  the  heart,  that  the  scrip- 
tures place  the  sin  of  the  heart  very  much  in  hardness  of  heart. 
Thus  the  scriptures  do  every  w^here.  It  was  hardness  of  heart 
which  excited  grief  and  displeasure  in  Christ  towards  the  Jews, 
Mark  iii.  5.  "  He  looked  round  a.bout  on  them  with  anger,  be- 
ing grieved  for  the  hardness  of  their  hearts."  It  is  from  mens 
having  such  a  heart  as  this,  that  they  treasure  up  wrath  for  them- 
selves; Rom.  ii.  5.  "  After  thy  hardness  and  impenitent  heart, 
treasurest  up  unto  thyself  wrath  against  the  day  of  wrath,  and 
revelation  of  the  righteous  judgment  of  God."  The  reason  given 
why  the  house  of  Israel  would  not  obey  God,  was,  that  they  were 
hard-hearted;  Ezek.  iii.  7.  "•  But  the  house  of  Israel  will  not 
hearken  unto  thee;  for  they  will  not  hearken  unto  me;  for  all  the 
house  of  Israel  are  impudent  and  hard-hearted."  The  wicked- 
ness of  that  perverse  rebellious  generation  in  the  wilderness,  is 
ascribed  to  the  hardness  of  their  hearts;  Psal.  xcv.  7 — 10.  "  To- 
day, if  ye  will  hear  my  voice,  harden  not  your  hearts,  as  in  the 
provocation,  and  as  in  the  day  of  temptation  in  the  wilderness; 
when  your  fathers  tempted  me,  proved  me,  and  saw  my  work: 
.forty  years  long  was  I  grieved  with  this  generation,  and  said,  It 
is  a  people  that  do  err  in  their  heart,"  &c. — This  is  spoken  of  as 
what  prevented  Zedekiah's  turning  to  the  Lord,  2  Chron.  xxxvi. 
13,  "  He  stiffened  his  neck  and  hardened  his  heart  from  turning 
to  the  Lord  God  of  Israel."  This  principle  is  spoken  of  as  that 
from  whence  men  are  without  the  fear  of  God,  and  depart  from 
God's  ways:  Isa.  Ixiii.  17.  "0  Lord,  why  hast  thou  made  us  to 
err  from  thy  ways?  And  hardened  our  heart  from  thy  fear.''" 
And  mens  rejecting  Christ,  and  opjx)sing  Chiiytianity,  is  laid 
to  this  principle,  Acts.  xix.  9.  "  But  when  divers  were  hard- 
ened, and  believed  not,  but  spake  evil  of  that  way  before  the 
multitude."  God's  leaving  men  to  the  power  of  the  sin  and  cor- 
ruption of  the  heart,  is  oicen  expressed  by  God's  hardening  their 


IN  HOLY  AFFECTIONS.  41 

hearts,  Rom,  ix.  18,  "  Therefore  hath  he  mercy  on  whom  he  will 
have  mere}',  and  whom  he  will  he  hardeneth."  John  xii.  40. 
"  He  hath  blinded  their  minds  and  hardened  their  hearts,"  And 
the  apostle  seems  to  speak  of  "  an  evil  heart  that  departs  from 
the  living  God,  and  a  hard  heart,"  as  the  same  thing,  Heb,  iii,  8, 
"  Harden  not  your  heart,  as  in  the  provocation,"  &c,  ver.  12, 13. 
"  Take  heed,  brethren,  lest  there  be  in  any  of  you  an  evil  heart 
o£  unbelief,  in  departing  from  the  living  God:  But  exhort  one  an- 
other daily,  while  it  is  called  to-day,  lest  any  of  you  be  hardened 
through  the  deceitfulncss  of  sin  "  And  that  great  work  of  God, 
in  conversion,  which  consists  in  delivering  a  person  from  the  pow- 
er of  sin,  and  mortifying  corruption,  is  expressed,  once  and  again^ 
by  God's  "  taking  away  the  heart  of  stone,  and  giving  an  heart 
of  flesh,"  Ezek.  xi.  19,  and  chap,  xxxvi,  26, 

Now,  by  a  hard  heart,  is  plainly  meant  an  unaffected  heart,  or 
a  heart  not  easy  to  be  moved  with  virtuous  affections,  like  the 
stone,  insensible,  stupid,  unmoved,  and  hard  to  be  impressed. 
Hence  the  hard  heart  is  called  a  stony  heart,  and  is  opposed  to 
a  heart  of  flesh,  that  has  feeling,  and  is  sensibly  touched  and  mov- 
ed. We  read  in  scripture  of  a  hard  heart  and  a  tender  heart; 
and  doubtless  we  are  to  understand  these  as  contrary  the  one  to 
the  other.  But  what  is  a  tender  heart,  but  a  heart  which  is  ea- 
sily impressd  with  what  ought  to  affect  it.''  God  commends  Josiah, 
because  his  heart  was  tender:  and  it  is  evident,  by  those  things 
which  are  mentioned  as  expressions  and  evidences  of  this  tender- 
ness of  heart,  that  by  his  heart  being  tender  is  meant  his  heart 
being  easily  moved  with  religious  and  pious  affection;  2  Kings 
xxii.  19.  "  Because  thine  heart  was  tender,  and  thou  hast  hum- 
bled thyself  before  the  Lord,  when  thou  heardst  what  I  spake 
against  this  place,  and  against  the  inhabitants  thereof,  that  they 
should  become  a  desolation  and  a  curse,  and  hast  rent  thy  clothes, 
and  wept  before  me,  I  also  have  heard  thee,  saith  the  Lord," 
And  this  is  one  thing,  wherein  it  is  necessary  we  should  "  become 
as  little  children  in  order  to  our  entering  into  the  kingdom  of 
God,"  even  that  we  should  have  our  hearts  tender,  and  easily 


4^  RELIGION  CONSISTS  MUCH 

affected  and  moved  in  spiritual  and  divine  tilings,  as  little  children 
have  in  other  things. 

It  is  very  plain  in  some  places,  in  the  texts  themselves,  that  by 
hardness  of  heart  is  meant  a  heart  void  of  affection.  So,  to  sig- 
nify the  ostrich's  being  withost  natural  affection  to  her  young,  it 
is  said,  Job  xxxix.  16.  "  She  hardeneth  her  heart  against  her 
young  ones,  as  though  they  were  not  hers."  So  a  person  having 
a  heart  unaffected  in  time  of  danger,  is  expressed  by  his  harden- 
ing his  heart,  Prov.  xxviii.  14.  "  Happy  is  the  man  that  feareth 
alway:  but  he  that  hardeneth  his  heart,  shall  fall  into  mischief." 

Now  therefore  since  it  is  so  plain,  that  by  a  hard  heart,  in 
scripture,  is  meant  a  heart  destitute  of  pious  affections,  and  since 
also  the  scriptures  do  so  frequently  place  the  sin  and  corruption 
of  the  heart  in  hardness  of  heart,  it  is  evident,  that  the  grace  and 
holiness  of  the  heart,  on  the  contrary,  must,  in  a  great  measure, 
consist  in  its  having  pious  affections,  and  being  easily  susceptive 
of  such  affections.  Divines  are  generally  agreed,  that  sin  radi- 
cally and  fundamentally  consists  in  what  is  negative  or  privative, 
having  its  root  and  foundation  in  a  privation  or  want  of  holiness. 
And  therefore  undoubtedly,  if  it  be  so  that  sin  does  very  much 
consist  in  hardness  of  heart,  and  so  in  the  want  of  pious  affections 
of  heart,  holiness  does  consist  very  much  in  those  pious  affections. 

I  am  far  from  supposing,  that  all  affections  do  show  a  tender 
heart:  hatred,  anger,  vain-glory,  and  other  selfish  and  self  exalt- 
ing affections,  may  greatly  prevail  in  the  hardest  heart.  But  yet 
it  is  evident,  that  hardness  of  heart,  and  tenderness  of  heart,  are 
expressions  that  relate  to  the  affections  of  the  heart,  and  denote 
the  heart's  being  susceptible  of,  or  shut  up  against,  certain  affec- 
tions; of  which,  I  shall  have  occasion  to  speak  more  afterwards. 

Upon  the  whole,  I  think  it  clearly  and  abundantly  evident,  that 
true  religion  lies  very  much  in  the  affections.  Not  that  I  think 
these  arguments  prove  that  religion  in  the  hearts  of  the  truly 
godly,  is  ever  in  exact  proportion  to  the  degree  of  affection  and 
present  emotion  of  the  mind:  for  undoubtedly  there  is  much  af- 
fection in  the  true  saints  which  is  not  spiritual;  their  religious 
affections  are  often  mixed;  all  is  not  from  grace,  but  much  from 


IN  HOLY  AFFECTIONS,  43 

nature.  And  though  the  affections  have  not  their  seat  in  the  body, 
yet  the  constitution  of  the  body  may  very  much  contribute  to  the 
present  emotion  of  the  mind.  And  the  degree  of  religion  is  rather 
to  be  judged  of  by  the  fixedness  and  strength  of  the  habit  that  is 
exercised  in  affection,  whereby  holy  affection  is  habitual,  than  by 
the  degree  of  the  present  exercise:  and  the  strength  of  that  habit 
is  not  always  in  proportion  to  outward  effects  and  manifestations, 
or  inward  effects,  in  t!ie  hurrv  and  vehemence  and  sudden  changes 
of  the  course  of  the  thoughts  of  the  mind.  But  yet  it  is  evident, 
that  religion  consists  so  much  in  affection,  as  that  without  holy 
affection  there  is  no  true  religion:  and  no  light  in  the  understand- 
ing so  good,  which  does  not  produce  holy  affection  in  the  heart: 
no  habit  or  principle  in  the  heart  is  good,  which  has  no  such  ex- 
ercise: and  no  external  fruit  is  good,  which  does  not  proceed  from 
such  exercises. 

Having  thus  considered  the  evidence  of  the  proposition  laid 
down,  I  proceed  to  some  inferences. 

1 .  We  may  hence  learn  how  great  their  error  is,  who  are  for 
discarding  all  religious  affections,  as  having  nothing  solid  or  sub* 
stantial  in  them. 

There  seems  to  be  too  much  of  a  disposition  this  way,  prevail- 
ing in  this  land  at  this  time.  Because  many  who,  in  tlie  late 
extraordinary  season,  appeared  to  have  great  religious  affections, 
did  not  manifest  a  right  temper  of  mind,  and  run  iulo  many  errors 
in  the  time  of  their  affection  and  the  heat  of  their  zeal;  and  be- 
cause the  high  affections  of  many  seem  to  be  so  soon  come  to 
nothing,  and  some  who  seemed  to  be  mightily  raised  and  swal- 
lowed up  with  joy  and  zeal  for  a  while,  seem  to  have  returned  like 
a  dog  to  his  vomit:  hence,  religious  affections  in  general  are  grown 
out  of  credit  with  great  numbers,  as  though  true  religion  did  not 
at  all  consist  in  them.  Thus  we  easily  and  naturally  run  from 
one  extreme  to  another.  A  little  while  ago  we  were  in  the  other 
extreme;  there  was  a  prevalent  disposition  to  look  upon  all  high 
religious  affections  as  eminent  exercises  of  true  grace,  without 
.much  inquiring  into  the  nature  and  source  of  tliose  affections,  and 
the  manner  in  which  tiiey  arose:  if  persons  did  but  appear  to  be 


44  RELIGION  CONSISTS  MUCH 

indeed  very  much  moved  and  raised,  so  as  to  be  full  of  religious 
talk,  and  express  themselves  with  great  warmth  and  earnestness, 
and  to  be  filled,  or  to  be  very  full,  as  the  phrases  were;  it  was  too 
much  tlie  manner,  without  further  examination,  to  conclude  such 
persons  were  full  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  and  had  eminent  experi- 
ence of  his  gracious  influences.  This  was  the  extreme  which 
was  prevailing  three  or  four  years  ago.  But  of  late,  instead  of 
esteeming  and  admiring  all  religious  affections  without  distinction, 
it  is  a  thing  much  more  prevalent  to  reject  and  discard  all  with- 
out distinction.  Herein  appears  the  subtilty  of  Satan.  A\liile 
he  saw  that  affections  were  much  in  vogue,  knowing  the  greater 
part  of  the  land  were  not  versed  in  such  things,  and  had  not  much 
experience  in  great  religious  affections  to  enable  them  to  judge 
well  of  them,  and  to  distinguish  between  true  and  false;  then  he 
could  best  play  his  game  by  sowing  tares  among  the  wheat,  and 
mingling  false  affections  with  the  works  of  God's  Spirit:  he  knew 
this  to  be  a  likely  way  to  delude  and  eternally  ruin  many  souls, 
and  greatly  wound  religion  in  the  saints,  and  entangle  them  in  a 
dreadful  wilderness,  and,  by  and  by,  to  bring  all  religion  into  dis- 
repute. But  now,  when  the  ill  consequences  of  these  false  affec- 
tions appear,  and  it  is  becoming  very  apparent  that  some  of  those 
emotions  which  made  a  glaring  show,  and  were  by  many  greatly 
admired,  were  in  reality  nothing,  the  devil  sees  it  to  be  for  his  in- 
terest to  go  another  way  to  work,  and  to  endeavour  to  his  utmost 
to  propagate  and  establish  a  persuasion  that  all  affections  and  sen- 
sible emotions  of  the  mind  in  things  of  religion,  are  nothing  at  all 
to  be  regarded,  but  are  rather  to  be  avoided  and  carefully  guard- 
ed against  as  things  of  a  pernicious  tendency.  This,  he  knows, 
is  the  way  to  bring  all  religion  to  a  mere  lifeless  formality,  and 
effectually  shut  out  the  power  of  godliness  and  every  thing  which 
is  spiritual,  and  to  have  all  true  Christianity  turned  out  of  doors. 
For  although  to  true  religion  there  must  indeed  be  something  else  be- 
sides affection,  yet  true  religion  consists  so  much  in  the  affections 
that  there  could  be  no  true  religion  without  them.  He  who  has 
no  religious  affections  is  in  a  state  of  spiritual  death,  and  is  wholly 
destitute  of  the  powerful,  quickening,  saving  influences  of  the 


IN  HOLY  AFFECTIONS,  45 

Spirit  of  God  upon  his  heart.  As  there  is  no  true  religion  where 
there  is  nothing  else  than  affection,  so  there  is  no  true  religion 
where  there  is  no  religious  affection.  As,  on  the  one  hand,  there 
must  be  light  in  the  understanding  as  well  as  an  affected  fervent 
heart;  where  there  is  heat  without  light  there  can  be  nothing  di- 
vine or  heavenly  in  that  heart:  so,  on  the  other  hand,  where  there 
is  a  kind  of  light  without  heat,  a  head  stored  with  notions  and 
speculations,  with  a  cold  and  unaffected  heart,  there  can  be  no- 
thing divine  in  that  light,  that  knowledge  is  no  true  spiritual 
knowledge  of  divine  things.  If  the  great  things  of  religion  are 
rightly  understood,  they  will  affect  the  heart.  The  reason  why 
men  are  not  affected  by  such  infinitely  great,  important,  glorious 
and  wonderful  things  as  they  often  hear  and  read  of  in  the  word 
of  God,  is  undoubtedly  because  they  are  blind;  if  they  were  not 
so,  it  would  be  impossible  and  utterly  inconsistent  with  human 
nature,  that  their  hearts  should  be  otherwise  than  strongly  im- 
pressed and  greatly  moved  by  such  things. 

This  manner  of  slighting  all  religious  affections,  is  the  way  ex- 
ceedingly to  harden  the  hearts  of  men,  and  to  encourage  them  in 
their  stupidity  and  senselessness,  and  to  keep  them  in  a  state  of 
spiritual  death  as  long  as  they  live,  and  bring  them  at  last  to  death 
eternal.  The  prevailing  prejudice  against  religious  affections  at 
this  day,  in  the  land,  is  apparently  of  awful  effect  to  harden  the 
hearts  of  sinners,  and  damp  the  graces  of  many  of  the  saints,  and 
stun  the  life  and  power  of  religion,  and  preclude  the  effect  of  or- 
dinances, and  hold  us  down  in  a  state  of  dulness  and  apathy,  and 
undoubtedly  causes  many  persons  greatly  to  offend  God,  in  enter- 
taining mean  and  low  thoughts  of  the  extraordinary  work  he  has 
lately  wrought  in  this  land. 

And  for  persons  to  despise  and  cry  down  all  religious  affections, 
is  the  way  to  shut  all  religion  out  of  their  own  hearts,  and  to  make 
thorough  work  in  ruining  their  souls. 

They  who  condcnni  high  affections  in  others,  are  certainly  not 
likely  to  have  high  affections  themselves.  And  let  it  be  consid- 
ered that  they,  who  have  but  little  religious  affection,  have  cer- 


46  RELIGION  CONSISTS  MUCH 

tainly  but  little  religion.  And  they  who  condemn  others  for  their 
religious  affections,  and  have  none  themselves,  have  no  religion. 

There  are  false  affections,  and  there  are  true.  A  man's  having 
much  affection  does  not  prove  that  he  has  any  true  religion;  but 
if  he  has  no  affection,  it  proves  that  he  has  no  true  religion.  The 
right  way  is  not  to  reject  all  affections,  nor  to  approve  all;  but 
to  distinguish  between  affections,  approving  some  and  rejecting 
others;  separating  between  the  wheat  and  the  chaff,  the  gold  and 
the  dross,  the  precious  and  the  vile. 

2.  If  it  be  so  that  true  religion  lies  much  in  the  affections, 
hence  we  may  infer  that  such  means  are  to  be  desired,  as  have 
much  of  a  tendency  to  move  the  affections.  Such  books  and  such 
a  way  of  preaching  the  word,  and  administration  of  ordinances, 
and  such  a  way  of  worshipping  God  in  prayer,  and  singing  praises, 
is  much  to  be  desired,  as  has  a  tendency  deeply  to  affect  the  hearts 
of  those  who  attend  these  means. 

Such  a  kind  of  means  would  formerly  have  been  highly  ap- 
proved of,  and  applauded  by  the  generality  of  the  people  of  the 
land,  as  the  most  excellent  and  profitable,  and  having  the  great- 
est tendency  to  promote  the  ends  of  the  means  of  grace.  But  the 
prevailing  taste  seems  of  late  strangely  to  be  altered:  that  pathe- 
tical  manner  of  praying  and  preaching,  which  would  formerly 
have  been  admired  and  extolled,  and  that  for  this  reason,  because 
it  had  such  a  tendency  to  move  the  affections,  now  in  great  mul- 
titudes, immediately  excites  disgust,  and  moves  no  other  affections 
than  those  of  displeasure  and  contempt. 

Perhaps  formerly  the  generality  (at  least  of  the  common  peo- 
ple) were  in  the  extreme,  of  looking  too  much  to  an  affectionate 
address  in  public  performances:  but  now  a  very  great  part  of  the 
people  seem  to  have  gone  far  into  a  contrary  extreme.  In- 
deed there  may  be  such  means  as  may  have  a  great  tendency  to 
stir  up  the  passions  of  weak  and  ignorant  persons,  and  yet  have 
no  great  tendency  to  benefit  their  souls:  for  though  they  may  have 
a  tendency  to  excite  affections,  they  may  have  little  or  none  to  ex- 
cite gracious  affections,  or  any  affections  tending  to  grace.  But 
undoubtedly,  if  the  things  of  religion  in  the  means  used,  are  treat- 


IN  H(MLY  AFFECTIONS,  47 

ed  according  to  their  nature,  and  exhibited  truly,  so  as  tends  to 
convey  just  apprehensions  and  a  right  judgment  of  them,  the 
more  they  have  a  tendency  to  move  the  affections  the  better. 

3.  If  true  religion  lies  much  in  the  affections,  hence  we  may 
learn  what  great  cause  we  have  to  be  ashamed  and  confounded 
before  God,  that  we  are  no  more  affected  with  the  great  tilings  of 
religion.  It  appears  from  what  has  been  said,  that  this  arises 
from  our  having  so  little  true  religion. 

God  has  given  to  mankind  affections,  for  the  same  purpose 
which  he  has  given  all  the  faculties  and  principles  of  the  hu- 
man soul,  viz.  that  they  might  be  subservient  to  man's  chief 
end,  and  the  great  business  for  which  God  has  created  him, 
that  is  the  business  of  religion.  And  yet  how  common  is  it  among 
mankind,  that  their  affections  are  much  more  exercised  and  en- 
gaged in  other  matters  than  in  religion!  In  things  which  concern 
mens  worldly  interest,  their  outward  delights,  their  honour  and 
reputation,  and  their  natural  relations,  they  have  their  desires  ea- 
ger, their  appetites  vehement,  their  love  warm  and  affectionate, 
their  zeal  ardent;  in  these  things  their  hearts  are  tender  and  sen- 
sible, easily  moved,  deeply  impressed,  much  concerned,  very  sen- 
sibly affected,  and  greatly  engaged;  much  depressed  with  grief 
at  wo'.'ldly  losses,  and  highly  raised  with  joy  at  worldly  successes 
and  prosperity.  But  how  insensible  and  unmoved  are  most  men 
about  the  great  things  of  another  world !  how  dull  are  their  af- 
fections !  how  heavy  and  hard  their  hearts  in  these  matters !  here 
their  love  is  cold,  their  desires  languid,  their  zeal  low,  and  their 
gratitude  small.  How  can  they  sit  and  hear  of  the  infinite  height 
and  depth,  and  length,  and  breadth  of  the  love  of  God  in  Christ 
Jesus,  of  his  giving  his  infinitely  dear  Son  to  be  offered  up  a  sa- 
crifice for  the  sins  of  men,  and  of  the  unparalleled  love  of  the  inno- 
cent, holy,  and  tender  Lamb  of  God,  manifested  in  his  dying  ago- 
nies, his  bloody  sweat,  his  loud  and  bitter  cries,  and  bleeding 
heart,  and  all  this  for  enemies,  to  redeem  them  from  deserved, 
eternal  burnings,  and  to  bring  to  unspeakable  and  everlasting  joy 
and  glory;  and  yet  be  cold  and  heavy,  insensible  and  regard- 
less! Where  are  the  exercises  of  our  affections  proper,  if  not 


48  RELIGION  CONSISTS  MUCH 

here?  What  is  it  that  does  more  require  them?  And  what  can  be 
a  fit  occasion  for  their  lively  and  vigorous  exercise,  if  not  such  an 
one  as  this?  Can  any  thing  be  set  in  our  view  greater  and  more 
important?  any  thing  more  wonderful  and  surprising,  or  more 
nearly  concerning  our  interest?  Can  we  suppose  the  wise  Crea- 
tor implanted  such  principles  in  the  human  nature,  as  the  affec- 
tions, to  be  of  use  to  us,  and  to  be  exercised  on  certain  proper  oc- 
casions, but  to  lie  still  on  such  an  occasion  as  this?  Can  any 
Christian  who  believes  the  truth  of  these  things  entertain  such 
thoughts? 

If  we  ought  ever  to  exercise  our  affections  at  all,  and  if  the 
Creator  has  not  unwisely  constituted  the  human  nature,  in  mak- 
ing these  principles  a  part  of  it  when  they  are  vain  and  useless; 
then  they  ought  to  be  exercised  about  those  objects  which  are 
most  worthy  of  them. 

But  is  there  any  thing  which  Christians  can  find  in  heaven  or 
earth,  so  worthy  to  be  the  objects  of  their  admiration  and  love, 
their  earnest  and  longing  desires,  their  hope  and  their  rejoicing, 
and  their  fervent  zeal,  as  those  things  that  are  held  forth  to  us 
in  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ?  in  which  not  only  are  things  de- 
clared most  worthy  to  affect  us,  but  they  are  exhibited  in  the  most 
affecting  manner.  The  glory  and  beauty  of  the  blessed  Jeho- 
vah, which  is  most  worthy  in  itself  to  be  the  object  of  our  admi- 
ration and  love,  is  there  exhibited  in  the  most  affecting  manner 
that  can  be  conceived  of,  as  it  appears,  shining  in  all  its  lustre, 
in  the  face  of  an  incarnate,  infinitely  loving,  meek,  compassion- 
ate, dying  Redeemer.  All  the  virtues  of  the  Lamb  of  God,  his 
humility,  patience,  meekness  submission,  obedience,  love  and 
compassion,  are  exhibited  to  our  view  in  a  manner  the  most 
tending  to  move  our  affections  of  any  that  can  be  imagined;  as 
they  all  had  their  greatest  trial,  and  their  highest  exercise,  and  so 
their  brightest  manifestation,  when  he  was  in  the  most  affecting 
circumstances;  even  when  he  was  under  his  last  sufferings,  those 
unutterable  and  unparalleled  sufferings  he  endured  from  his  ten- 
der love  and  pity  to  us.  There  also,  the  hateful  nature  of  our 
sins  is  manifested  in  the  most  affecting  manner  possible;  as  we 


IN  HOLY  AFFECTIONS.  49 

see  the  dreadful  effects  of  them  in  what  our  Redeemer,  who  un- 
dertook to  answer  for  us,  suffered  for  them.  And  there  we  have 
the  most  affecting  manifestation  of  God's  hatred  of  sin,  and  his 
wrath  and  justice  in  punishing  it;  as  we  see  his  justice  in  the 
strictness  and  inflexibleness  of  it,  and  his  wrath  in  its  terrible- 
ness,  in  so  dreadfully  punishing  our  sins,  in  one,  who  was  infi- 
nitely dear  to  him  and  loving  to  us.  So  has  God  disposed  things 
in  the  affair  of  our  redemption,  and  in  his  glorious  dispensations, 
revealed  to  us  in  the  gospel,  as  though  every  thing  were  purpose- 
ly contrived  in  such  a  manner  as  to  have  the  greatest  possible 
tendency  to  reach  our  hearts  in  the  most  tender  part,  and  move 
our  affections  most  sensibly  and  strongly.  How  great  cause  have 
we  therefore  to  be  humbled  to  the  dust  that  we  are  no  more  af- 
fected ! 


.-<¥ 


50 


WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 


PAUT  n. 

SHOWING  WHAT  ARE  NO  CERTAIN  SIGNS  THAT  RELIGIOUS  AFFEC- 
TIONS ARE  TRULY  GRACIOUS,  OR  THAT  THEY  ARE  NOT. 

If  any  one  on  the  reading  of  what  has  been  just  now  said,  is 
ready  to  acquit  himself,  and  say,  "  I  am  not  one  of  those  who 
have  no  religious  affections,  I  am  often  greatly  moved  with  the 
consideration  of  the  great  things  of  religion;"  let  him  not  content 
himself  with  this,  that  be  has  religious  affections:  for  as  we  ob- 
served before,  as  we  ought  not  to  reject  and  condemn  all  affections 
as  though  true  religion  did  not  at  all  consist  in  affection;  so,  on 
the  other  hand,  we  ought  not  to  approve  of  all,  as  though  every 
one  that  was  religiously  affected  had  true  grace,  and  was  therein 
the  subject  of  the  saving  influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God:  and  that 
therefore  the  right  way  is  to  distinguish  among  religious  affec- 
tions between  one  sort  and  another.  Therefore  let  us  now  en- 
deavour to  do  this:  and  in  order  to  it,  I  would  do  two  things. 

I.  I  would  mention  some  things  which  are  no  signs  one  way 
or  the  other,  either  that  affections  are  such  as  true  religion  con- 
sists in,  or  that  they  are  otherwise;  that  we  may  be  guarded 
against  judging  of  affections  by  false  signs. 

II.  I  would  observe  some  things,  wherein  those  affections  which 
are  spiritual  and  gracious  differ  from  those  which  are  not  so,  and 
may  be  distinguished  and  known. 

First,  I  would  take  notice  of  some  things,  which  are  no  signs 
that  affections  are  gracious,  or  that  they  are  not. 

I.  It  is  no  sign  one  way  or  the  other  that  religious  affections 
are  very  great,  or  raised  very  high. 

Some  are  ready  to  condemn  all  high  affections:  if  persons  ap- 
pear to  have  their  religious  affections  raised  to  an  extraordinary 
pitch,  they  are  prejudiced  against  them,  and  determine  that  they 
are  delusions  witliout  further  inquiry.     But  if  it  be  as  has  been 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  51 

proved,  that  true  religion  lies  very  much  in  religious  affections, 
then  it  follows,  that  if  there  be  a  great  deal  of  true  religion,  there 
will  be  great  religious  affections;  if  true  religion  in  the  hearts  of 
men  be  raised  to  a  great  height,  divine  and  holy  affections  will 
be  raised  to  a  great  height. 

Love  is  an  affection;  but  will  any  Christian  say,  men  ought 
not  to  love  God  and  Jesus  Christ  in  a  high  degree?  and  will  any 
say  we  ought  not  to  have  a  very  great  hatred  of  sin,  and  a  very  deep 
sorrow  for  it?  or  that  we  ought  not  to  exercise  a  high  degree  of  gra- 
titude to  God,  for  the  mercies  we  receive  of  him,  and  the  great 
things  he  has  done  for  the  salvation  of  fallen  men?  or  that  we 
should  not  have  very  great  and  strong  desires  after  God  and  holi- 
ness? Is  there  any  who  will  profess  that  his  affections  in  religion 
are  great  enough;  and  will  say,  "  I  have  no  cause  to  be  humbled 
that  I  am  no  more  affected  with  the  things  of  religion  than  I  am; 
I  have  no  reason  to  be  ashamed  that  I  have  no  greater  exercises 
of  love  to  God,  and  sorrow  for  sin,  and  gratitude  for  the  mercies 
which  I  have  received?"  Who  is  there  that  will  bless  God,  that 
he  is  affected  enough  with  what  he  has  read  and  heard  of  the 
wonderful  love  of  God  to  worms  and  rebels,  in  giving  his  only 
begotten  Son  to  die  for  them,  and  of  the  dying  love  of  Christ;  and 
will  pray  that  he  may  not  be  affected  with  them  in  any  higher 
degree,  because  high  affections  are  improper,  and  very  unlovely 
in  Christians,  being  enthusiastical  and  ruinous  to  true  religion? 

Our  text  plainly  speaks  of  great  and  high  affections,  when  it 
speaks  of  "  rejoicing  with  joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory:" 
here  the  most  superlative  expressions  are  used  which  language 
will  afford.  And  the  scriptures  often  require  us  to  exercise  very 
high  affections:  thus,  in  the  first  and  great  commandment  of  the 
law,  there  is  an  accumulation  of  expressions,  as  though  words 
were  wanting  to  express  the  degree  in  which  we  ought  to  love 
God;  "  Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God,  with  all  thy  heart, 
with  all  thy  soul,  with  all  thy  mind,  and  with  all  thy  strength." 
So  the  saints  are  called  upon  to  exercise  high  degrees  of  joy; 
"  Rejoice,"  says  Christ  to  his  disciples,  "  and  be  exceeding 
glad,"  Matth.  v.  12.  So  it  is  said,  Psal.  Ixviii.  3,  "  Let  the 
r. 


52  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

righteous  be  glad:  let  them  rejoice  before  God;  yea,  let  them  ex- 
ceedingly rejoice."  So  in  the  same  book  of  Psalms,  the  saints 
are  often  called  upon  to  shout  for  joy;  and  in  Luke  vi.  23.  to  leap 
for  joy.  So  they  are  abundantly  called  upon  to  exercise  high  de- 
grees of  gratitude  for  mercies,  to  "  praise  God  with  all  their 
hearts,  with  hearts  lifted  up  in  the  ways  of  the  Lord,  and  their 
souls  magnifying  the  Lord,  singing  his  praises,  talking  of  his 
wondrous  works,  declaring  his  doings,"  &c. 

And  we  find  the  most  eminent  saints  in  scripture  often  pro- 
fessing high  affections.  Thus  the  Psalmist  speaks  of  his  love,  as 
if  it  were  unspeakable;  Psal.  cxix.  97.  "  O  how  love  I  thy 
law!"  So  he  expresses  a  great  degree  of  hatred  of  sin;  Psal. 
cxxxix.  21,  22.  "  Do  not  I  hate  them,  0  Lord,  that  hate  thee? 
and  am  not  I  grieved  with  them  that  rise  up  against  thee?  I  hate 
them  with  perfect  hatred."  He  also  expresses  a  high  degree  of 
sorrow  for  sin:  he  speaks  of  his  sins  "  going  over  his  head,  as  an 
heavy  burden,  that  was  too  heavy  for  him:  and  of  his  roaring  all 
the  day,  and  his  moisture's  being  turned  into  the  drought  of  sum- 
mer," and  his  bones  being  as  it  were  broken  with  sorrow.  So 
he  often  expresses  great  degrees  of  spiritual  desires  in  a  multitude 
of  the  strongest  expressions  which  can  be  conceived  of;  such  as 
"  his  longing,  his  soul's  thirsting  in  a  dry  and  thirsty  land,  where 
no  water  is,  his  panting,  his  flesh  and  heart  crying  out,  his  soul's 
breaking  for  the  longings  it  hath,"  &,c.  He  expresses  the  exer- 
cises of  great  and  extreme  grief  for  the  sins  of  others,  Psal,  cxix. 
136.  "  Rivers  of  water  run  down  mine  eyes,  because  they  keep 
not  thy  law."  And  ver.  53.  "  Horror  hath  taken  hold  upon  me, 
because  of  the  wicked  that  forsake  thy  law."  He  expresses  high 
exercises  of  joy,  Psal.  xxi.  1.  "  The  king  shall  joy  in  thy 
strength,  and  in  thy  salvation  how  greatly  shall  he  rejoice!" 
Psal.  Ixxi.  23.  "  My  lips  shall  greatly  rejoice,  when  I  sing  unto 
thee."  Psal.  Ixiii.  3,  4,  5,  6,  7.  "  Because  thy  loving  kind- 
ness is  better  than  life:  my  lips  shall  praise  thee.  Thus  will  I 
bless  thee  while  I  live:  I  will  lift  up  my  hands  in  thy  name.  My 
soul  shall  be  satisfied,  as  with  marrow  and  fatness;  and  my 
mouth  shall  praise  thee  with  joyful  lips:  when  I  remember  thee 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  53 

■upon  my  bed,  and  meditate  on  tliee  in  the  night  watches.  Be- 
cause thou  hast  been  my  help;  therefore,  in  the  shadow  of  thy 
wings,  will  I  rejoice." 

The  apostle  Paul  expresses  high  exercises  of  affection.  Thus 
he  expresses  the  exercises  of  pity  and  concern  for  others'  good, 
even  to  anguish  of  heart;  a  great,  fervent,  and  abundant  love, 
and  earnest  and  longing  desires,  and  exceeding  joy;  and  speaks 
of  the  exultation  and  triumphs  of  his  soul,  and  his  earnest  expec- 
tation and  hope,  and  his  abundant  tears,  and  the  travails  of  his 
soul,  in  pity,  grief,  earnest  desires,  godly  jealousy,  and  fervent 
zeal  in  many  places  that  have  been  cited  already,  and  which 
therefore  I  need  not  repeat.  John  the  Baptist  expressed  great 
joy,  John  iii.  39.  Those  blessed  women  that  anointed  the  body 
of  Jesus,  are  represented  as  in  a  very  high  exercise  of  religious 
affection,  on  occasion  of  Christ's  resurrection;  Matth.  xxviii.  8^ 
"  And  they  departed  from  the  sepulchre,  with  fear  and  great 

joy." 

It  is  often  foretold  of  the  church  of  God,  in  her  future  happy 
seasons  here  on  earth,  that  they  shall  exceedingly  rejoice;  Psal. 
Ixxxix.  15,  16.  "  They  shall  walk,  0  Lord,  in  the  light  of  thy 
countenance.  In  thy  name  shall  they  rejoice  all  the  day:  and  in 
thy  righteousness  shall  they  be  exalted."  Zech.  ix.  9.  "  Re- 
joice greatly,  O  daughter  of  Zion;  shout,  O  daughter  of  Jeru- 
salem: behold,  thy  King  cometh,"  &c.  The  same  is  represent- 
ed in  innumerable  other  places.  And  because  high  degrees  of 
joy  are  the  proper  and  genuine  fruits  of  the  gospel  of  Christ, 
therefore  the  angel  calls  this  gospel,  "  good  tidings  of  great  joy 
that  should  be  to  all  people." 

The  saints  and  angels  in  heaven,  that  have  religion  in  its  high- 
est perfection,  are  exceedingly  affected  with  what  they  behold 
and  contemplate  of  God's  perfections  and  works.  They  are  all 
as  a  pure  heavenly  flame  of  fire  in  their  love,  and  in  the  great- 
ness and  strength  of  their  joy  and  gratitude:  their  praises  are 
represented  "  as  the  voice  of  many  waters,  and  as  the  voice  of  a 
great  thunder.  Now  the  only  reason  why  their  affections  are  so 
much  higher  than  the  holy  affections  of  saints  on  earth,  is,  they 


7k 


54  WHAT  AliE  KU  SIGNS 

see  the  things  they  are  affected  by,  more  according  to  their  truth, 
and  have  their  affections  more  conformed  to  the  nature  of  things. 
And,  therefore,  if  religious  affections  in  men  here  below,  are  but 
of  the  same  nature  and  kind  with  theirs,  the  higher  they  are,  and 
the  nearer  they  are  to  theirs  in  degree,  the  better;  because 
therein  they  will  be  so  much  the  more  conformed  to  truth  as 
theirs  are. 

From  these  things  it  certainly  appears  that  religious  affections 
being  in  a  very  high  degree  is  no  evidence  that  they  are  not  such 
as  have  the  nature  of  true  religion.  Therefore  they  do  greatly 
err,  who  condemn  persons  as  enthusiasts,  merely  because  their 
affections  are,  very  high. 

And,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  no  evidence  that  religious  affec- 
tions are  of  a  spiritual  and  gracious  nature,  because  they  are 
great.  It  is  very  manifest,  by  the  holy  scripture,  our  sure  and  in- 
fallible rule  to  judge  of  things  of  this  nature,  that  there  are  reli- 
^ous  affections,  which  are  very  high,  that  are  not  spiritual  and 
saving.  The  apostle  Paul  speaks  of  affections  in  the  Galatians, 
which  had  been  exceedingly  elevated,  and  which  yet  he  mani- 
festly speaks  of  as  fearing  that  they  were  vain,  and  had  come  to 
nothing.  Gal.  iv.  15,  "  Where  is  the  blessedness  you  spoke  of? 
for  I  bear  you  record  that  if  it  had  been  possible,  you  would  have 
plucked  out  your  own  eyes  and  have  given  them  to  me."  And  in 
the  1 1th  verse  he  tells  them,  "  he  was  afraid  of  them,  lest  he  had 
bestowed  upon  them  labour  in  vain."  So  the  children  of  Israel 
were  grieatly  affected  with  God's  mercy  to  them,  when  they  had 
seen  how  wonderfully  he  wrought  for  them  at  the  Red  Sea,  where 
they  sang  God's  praise,  though  they  soon  forgot  his  works.  So 
they  were  greatly  affected  again  at  Mount  Sinai,  when  they  saw 
the  marvellous  manifestations  God  made  of  himself  there;  and 
seemed  mightily  engaged  in  their  minds,  and  with  great  forward- 
ness made  answer,  when  God  proposed  his  holy  covenant  to  them, 
saying,  "  All  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken  will  we  do,  and  be  obe- 
dient." But  how  soon  was  there  an  end  to  all  this  mighty  for- 
wardness and  engagedness  of  affection?  how  quickly  were  they 
turned,  aside  after  other  gods,  rejoicing  and  shouting  around  their 


TO  DISTI?JGU1SH  AFFECTIONS.  5a 

golden  calf!  So  great  multitudes,  who  were  affected  with  the  mira- 
cle of  raising  Lazarus  from  the  dead,  were  elevated  to  a  high  degree, 
and  made  a  mighty  ado,  when  Jesus  presently  after  entered  into 
Jerusalem,  exceedingly  magnifying  Christ,  as  though  the  ground 
were  not  goocT  enough  for  the  ass  he  rode  to  tread  upon;  and 
therefore  cut  branches  of  palm  trees,  and  strewed  them  in  the 
way;  yea,  pulled  off  their  garments  and  spread  them  in  the  way, 
and  cried  with  loud  voices,  "  Hosanna  to  the  son  of  David,  bless- 
ed is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,  hosanna  in  the 
highest;"  so  as  to  make  the  whole  city  ring  again,  and  put  all  in- 
to an  uproar.  We  learn  by  the  evangelist  John,  that  the  reason 
why  the  people  made  this  ado,  was  because  they  were  affected 
with  the  miracle  of  raising  Lazarus,  John  xii.  18.  Here  was  a 
vast  multitude  crying  hosanna  on  this  occasion,  so  that  it  gave  oc- 
casion to  the  pharisees  to  say,  "  Behold,  the  world  is  gone  after 
him,"  John  xii.  19.  but  Christ  had,  at  that  time,  but  few  true  dis- 
ciples. And  how  quickly  was  this  ado  at  an  end !  all  of  this  na- 
ture is  quelled  and  dead  when  this  Jesus  stands  bound,  with  a 
mock  robe  and  crown  of  thorns,  to  be  derided,  spit  upon,  scourg- 
ed, condemned  and  executed.  Indeed,  there  was  a  great  and 
loud  outcry  concerning  him  among  the  multitude  then,  as  well  as 
before,  but  of  a  very  different  kind;  it  is  not  then  Hosanna,  Ho- 
sanna, but  Crucify,  Crucify. 

And  it  is  the  concurring  voice  of  all  orthodox  divines,  that  there 
may  be  religious  affections,  which  are  raised  to  a  very  high  de- 
gree, and  yet  there  be  nothing  of  true  religion.! 

II.  It  is  no  sign  that  affections  have  the  nature  of  true  religion, 
or  that  they  have  not,  that  they  have  great  effects  on  the  body. 

All  affections,  whatsoever,  have,  in  some  respect  or  degree,  an 
effect  on  the  body.  As  was  observed  before,  such  is  our  nature, 
and  such  are  the  laws  of  union  of  soul  and  body,  that  the  mind 
can  have  no  lively  or  vigorous  exercise  without  some  effect  upon 
the  body.  So  subject  is  the  body  to  the  mind,  and  so  much  do 
its  fluids,  especially  the  animal  spirits,  attend  the  motions  and  ex- 

f  Mr.  Stoddart  observes,  "  That  common  alTecUons  are  sometimes  strong- 
er than  saving."  Guide  to  Chrifst,  p.  21. 


56  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

ercises  of  the  mind,  that  there  can  not  be  so  much  as  an  intense 
thought,  without  an  effect  upon  them.  Yea,  it  is  questionable 
whether  an  embodied  soul  ever  so  much  as  thinks  one  thought  or 
has  any  exercise  at  all,  but  that  there  is  some  corresponding  mo- 
tion or  alteration  of  motion,  in  some  degree,  of  the  fluids  in  some 
part  of  the  body.  But  universal  experience  shows  that  the  exer- 
cise of  the  affections  have,  in  a  special  manner,  a  tendency  to 
some  sensible  effect  upon  the  body.  And  if  this  be  so,  that  all 
affections  have  some  effect  on  the  body,  we  may  then  well  sup- 
pose, the  greater  those  affections  be,  and  the  more  vigorous  their 
exercise,  (other  circumstances  being  equal)  the  greater  will  be 
effect  on  the  body.  Hence,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  that  very 
great  and  strong  exercises  of  the  affections  should  have  great  ef- 
fects on  the  body.  And,  therefore,  seeing  there  are  very  great 
affections,  both  common  and  spiritual,  hence  it  is  not  to  be  won- 
dered at  thiat  great  effects  on  the  body  should  arise  from  both 
these  kinds  of  affections.  And  consequently  these  effects  are  no 
signs  that  the  affections  they  arise  from  are  of  one  kind  or  the 
other. 

Great  effects  on  the  body  certainly  are  no  sure  evidences  that 
affections  are  spiritual;  for  we  see  that  such  effects  oftentimes 
arise  from  great  affections  about  temporal  things,  and  when  reli- 
gion is  no  way  concerned  in  them.  And  if  great  affections  about 
secular  things,  that  are  purely  natural,  may  have  these  effects,  I 
know  not  by  what  rule  we  should  determine  that  high  affections 
about  religious  things,  which  arise  in  like  manner  from  nature, 
can  not  have  the  like  effect. 

Nor,  on  the  other  hand,  do  I  know  of  any  rule  any  have  to 
determine  that  gracious  and  holy  affections,  when  raised  as  high 
as  any  natural  affections,  and  have  equally  strong  and  vigorous 
exercises,  can  not  have  a  great  effect  on  the  body.  No  such  rule 
can  be  drawn  from  reason:  I  know  of  no  reason  why  a  being  af- 
fected with  a  view  of  God's  glory,  should  not  cause  the  body  to 
faint,  as  well  as  being  affected  with  a  view  of  Solomon's  glory. 
And  no  such  rule  has  as  yet  been  produced  from  the  scripture: 
none  has  ever  been  found  in  all  the  late  controversies  which  have 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  37 

been  about  things  of  this  nature.  There  is  a  great  power  in  spi- 
ritual affections.  We  read  of  the  power  which  worketh  in  Chris- 
tians,! and  of  the  Spirit  of  God  being  in  them,  as  the  Spirit  of 
power,!  ^^^^  ^^  ^^^^  effectual  working  of  his  power  in  them,§  yea, 
of  the  working  of  God's  mighty  power  in  them.||  But  man's  na- 
ture is  weak:  flesh  and  blood  are  represented  in  scripture  as  ex- 
ceeding weak;  and  particularly  with  respect  to  its  unfitness  for 
great  spiritual  and  heavenly  operations  and  exercises,  Matt,  xxvi. 
41.  1  Cor.  XV.  43.  and  50.  The- text  we  are  upon  speaks  of 
"joy  unspeakable  and  full  of  glory."  And  who  that  considers 
what  man's  nature  is,  and  what  the  nature  of  the  affections  is, 
can  reasonably  doubt,  but  that  such  unutterable  and  glorious  joys 
may  be  too  great  and  mighty  for  weak  dust  and  ashes,  so  as  to  be 
considerably  overbearing  to  it?  It  is  evident  by  the  scripture  that 
true  divine  discoveries,  or  ideas  of  God's  glory,  when  given  in  a 
great  deg.ree,  have  a  tendency,  by  affecting  the  mind,  to  overbear 
the  body;  because  the  scripture  teaches  us  often,  that,  if  these 
ideas  or  views  should  be  given  to  such  a  degree  as  they  are  given 
in  heaven,  the  weak  frame  of  the  body  could  not  subsist  under  it, 
and  that  no  man  can,  in  that  manner,  see  God  and  live.  The 
knowledge  which  the  saints  have  of  God's  beauty  and  glory  in 
this  world,  and  those  holy  affections  that  arise  from  it,  are  of  the 
same  nature  and  kind  with  what  the  saints  are  the  subjects  of  in 
heaven,  differing  only  in  degree  and  circumstances:  what  God 
gives  them  here  is  a  foretaste  of  heavenly  happiness,  and  an  ear- 
nest of  their  future  inheritance.  And  who  shall  limit  God  in  his 
giving  this  earnest,  or  say  he  shall  give  so  much  of  the  inheritance, 
such  a  part  of  the  future  reward  as  an  earnest  of  the  whole,  and 
no  more?  And  seeing  God  has  taught  us,  in  his  word,  that  the 
whole  reward  is  such  that  it  would  at  once  destroy  the  body,  is  it 
not  too  bold  a  thing  for  us,  so  to  set  bounds  to  the  Sovereign 
God,  as  to  say,  that,  in  giving  the  earnest  of  this  reward  in  this 
world,  he  shall  never  give  so  much  of  it  as  in  the  least  to  dimin- 
ish the  strength  of  the  body,  when  God  has  thus  no  where  limit- 
ed himself? 

t  Eph.  iii.  7.        +2  Tim.  i.  f,        §  Eph.  Hi.  7,  20.        ||  Eph.  i.  19. 


58  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

The  Psalmist,  speaking  of  the  vehement  religious  affections  he 
had,  spealf  s  of  an  effect  in  his  flesh  or  body,  besides  what  was  in 
his  soul,  expressly  distinguishing  one  from  the  other,  once  and 
again,  Psal.  Ixxxiv,  2.  "  My  soul  longeth,  yea,  even  fainteth  for 
the  courts  of  the  Lord:  my  heart  and  my  flesh  crieth  out  for  the 
living  God."  Here  is  a  plain  distinction  between  the  heart 
and  the.  flesh,  as  being  each  affected.  So  Psal.  Ixiii.  1.  "  My 
soul  thirsteth  for  thee,  my  flesh  longeth  for  thee  in  a  dry  and  thirs- 
ty land,  where  no  water  is."  Here  also  is  an  evident  designed 
distinction  between  the  soul  and  the  flesh. 

The  prophet  Habakkuk  speaks  of  his  body's  being  overborne  by 
a  sense  of  the  majesty  of  God,  Hab.  iii.  16.  "  When  I  heard,  my 
belly  trembled;  my  lips  quivered  at  the  voice:  rottenness  entered 
into  my  bones,  and  I  trembled  in  myself."  So  the  Psalmist  speaks 
expressly  of  his  flesh  trembling,  Psal.  cxix.  120.  "  My  flesh 
trembleth  for  fear  of  thee." 

That  such  ideas  of  God's  glory  as  are  sometimes  given  in  this 
world,  have  a  tendency  to  overbear  the  body  is  evident,  because 
the  scriptures  gives  us  an  account  that  this  has  sometimes  actual- 
ly been  the  effect  of  those  external  manifestations  God  has  made 
of  himself  to  some  of  the  saints,  which  were  made  to  that  end, 
viz.  to  give  them  an  idea  of  God's  majesty  and  glory.  Such  in- 
stances we  have  in  the  prophet  Daniel,  and  the  apostle  John. 
Daniel,  giving  an  account  of  an  external  representation  of  the 
glory  of  Christ,  says,  Dan.  x.  8.  "  And  there  remained  no  strength 
|n  me;  for  my  comeliness  was  turned  into  corruption,  and  I  re- 
tained no  strength."  And  the  apostle  John,  giving  an  account 
of  a  like  manifestation  made  to  him,  says.  Rev.  i.  17.  "And  when 
I  saw  him  I  fell  at  his  feet  as  dead."  It  is  vain  to  say  here, 
these  were  only  external  manifestations  or  symbols  of  the  glory 
of  Christ,  which  these  saints  beheld:  for,  though  it  be  true  that 
they  were  outward  representations  of  Christ's  glory,  which  they 
beheld  with  their  bodily  eyes,  yet  the  end  and  use  of  these  exter- 
nal symbols  or  representations  was  to  give  these  prophets  an  idea 
of  the  thing  represented,  and  that  was  the  true  divine  glory  and 
majesty  of  Christ,  which  is  his  spiritual  glory;  they  were  made  use 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  59 

of  only  as  significations  of  this  spiritual  glory,  and  thus  undoubt- 
edly they  received  them  and  improved  them,  and  were  affected 
by  them.  According  to  the  end  for  which  God  intended  these 
outward  signs,  they  received  by  them  a  great  and  lively  appre- 
hension of  the  real  glory  and  majesty  of  God's  nature,  which  they 
were  signs  of,  and  thus  were  greatly  affected,  their  souls  swal- 
lowed up  and  their  bodies  overborne.  And  I  think  they  arc  very 
bold  and  daring,  who  will  say  God  can  not  or  shall  not  give  the 
like  clear  and  affecting  ideas  and  apprehensions  of  the  same  real 
glory  and  majesty  of  his  nature,  to  any  of  his  saints,  without  the 
intervention  of  any  such  external  shadows  of  it. 

Before  I  leave  this  head  I  would  farther  observe,  that  it  is  plain 
the  scripture  often  makes  use  of  bodily  effects  to  express  the 
strength  of  holy  and  spiritual  affections;  such  as  trembling,! 
groaning,:}:  being  sick,§  crying  out,||  panting,1l  and  fainting.ft 
Now  if  it  be  supposed  that  these  are  only  figurative  expressions 
to  represent  the  degree  of  affection,  yet  I  hope  all  will  allow,  that 
they  are  fit  and  suitable  figures  to  represent  the  high  degree  of 
those  spiritual  affections  which  the  Spirit  of  God  makes  use  of 
them  to  represent:  which,  I  do  not  see  how  they  would  be,  if 
those  spiritual  affections,  let  them  be  in  never  so  high  a  degree, 
have  no  tendency  to  any  such  things;  but  that,  on  the  contrary, 
they  are  the  proper  effects  and  sad  tokens  of  false  affections,  and 
the  delusion  of  the  devil.  I  can  not  think  God  would  commonly 
make  use  of  things  which  are  very  alien  from  spiritual  affections, 
and  are  shrewd  marks  of  the  hand  of  Satan,  and  smell  strong  of 
the  bottomless  pit,  as  beautiful  figures  to  represent  the  high  de- 
gree of  holy  and  heavenly  affections. 

III.  It  is  no  sign  that  affections  are  truly  gracious  affections,  or 
that  they  are  not,  that  they  cause  those  who  have  them,  to  be  flu- 
f;nt,  fervent,  and  abundant,  in  talking  of  the  things  of  religion. 

There  are  many  persons  who,  if  they  see  this  in  others,  are 

■j-  Psal.  cxix.  120.  Ezra  ix.  4.  Isa.  Ixvi.  2.  5.  Ilnb.  iii.  16. 
t  Rom.  viii.  26.  §  Cant.  ii.  .5.  and  v.  8. 

II  Psal.  Ixxxiv.  2.  H  Psal.  xx.wiii.  10.  and  xlll.  1.  and  cslx.  131. 

If  Psal,  Ixxxiv  2.  and  cxix,  81. 
H 


60  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

greatly  prejudiced  against  them.  Their  being  so  full  of  talk,  is 
witl)  them  a  sufficient  ground  to  condemn  tliem  as  pharisees  and 
ostentatious  hypocrites.  On  the  other  hand,  there  are  many  who, 
if  they  see  this  effect  in  any,  are  very  ignorantly  and  imprudently 
forward  at  once  to  determine,  that  they  are  the  true  children  of 
God,  and  are  under  the  saving  influences  of  his  Spirit,  and  speak 
of  it  as  a  great  evidence  of  a  new  creature:  they  say,  "  such  an 
one's  mouth  is  now  opened:  he  used  to  be  slow  to  speak;  but 
now  he  is  full  and  free:  he  is  free  now  to  open  his  heart,  and  tell 
his  experiences,  and  declare  the  praises  of  God;  it  comes  from 
him  as  free  as  water  from  a  fountain;"  and  the  like.  And  espe- 
cially are  they  captivated  into  a  confident  and  undoubting  persua- 
sion, that  they  are  savingly  wrought  upon,  if  they  are  not  only 
free  and  abundant,  but  very  affectionate  and  earnest  in  their  talk. 

But  this  is  the  fruit  of  but  little  judgment,  a  scanty  and  short 
experience,  as  events  do  abundantly  show,  and  is  a  mistake  per- 
sons often  run  into,  through  their  trusting  to  their  own  wisdom 
and  discerning,  and  making  their  own  notions  their  rule,  instead 
of  the  holy  scripture.  Though  the  scriptures  be  full  of  rules,  both 
how  we  should  judge  of  our  own  state,  and  also  how  we  should 
be  conducted  in  our  opinion  of  others;  yet  we  have  no  where  any 
rule  by  which  to  judge  ourselves  or  others  to  be  in  a  good  estate 
from  any  such  effect:  for  this  is  but  the  religion  of  the  mouth  and 
of  the  tongue,  and  what  is  in  the  scripture  represented  by  the 
leaves  of  a  tree,  which,  though  the  tree  ought  not  to  be  without 
them,  yet  are  no  where  given  as  an  evidence  of  the  goodness  of 
the  tree. 

That  persons  are  disposed  to  be  abundant  in  talking  of  things 
of  religion,  may  be  from  a  good  cause,  and  it  may  be  from  a  bad 
one.  It  may  be  because  their  hearts  are  very  full  of  holy  affections; 
for  "  out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the  mouth  speaketh:"  and 
it  may  be  because  persons'  hearts  are  very  full  of  religious  affection 
which  is  not  holy;  for  still  out  of  the  abundance  of  the  heart  the 
mouth  speaketh.  It  is  very  much  the  nature  of  the  affections,  of 
whatever  kind  they  be,  and  whatever  objects  they  are  exercised 
about,  if  they  are  strong,  to  dispose  persons  to  be  very  much  in 


TO  DISTINGUISH   AFFECTIONS.  61 

speaking  of  that  which  they  are  affected  with;  and  not  only  to 
speak  much,  but  to  speak  very  earnestly  and  fervently.  And, 
therefore,  persons  talking  abundantly  and  very  fervently  about  the 
things  of  religion,  can  be  an  evidence  of  no  more  than  this,  that 
they  are  very  much  affected  with  the  things  of  religion;  but  this 
may  be,  (as  has  been  already  shown)  a«d  there  be  no  grace.  That 
which  men  are  greatly  affected  with  while  the  high  affection  lasts, 
they  will  be  earnestly  engaged  about,  and  will  be  likely  to  show 
that  earnestness  in  their  talk  and  behaviour,  as  the  greater  part 
of  the  Jews  in  all  Judah  and  Galilee,  did  for  a  while,  about  John 
the  Baptist's  preaching  and  baptism,  when  they  were  willing  for 
a  season  to  rejoice  in  his  light;  a  mighty  ado  was  made  all  over 
the  land,  and  among  all  sorts  of  persons,  about  this  great  prophet 
and  his  ministry.  And  so  the  multitude,  in  like  manner,  often 
manifested  a  great  earnestness,  a  mighty  engagedness  of  spirit  in 
every  thing  that  was  external,  about  Christ  and  his  preaching  and 
miracles,  "  being  astonished  at  his  doctrine,  anon  with  joy  re- 
ceiving the  word,"  following  him  sometim.es  night  and  day,  leav- 
ing meat,  drink  and  sleep  to  hear  him;  once  following  him  into 
the  wilderness,  fasting  three  days  going  to  hear  him;  sometimes 
crying  him  up  to  the  clouds,  saying,  "  Never  man  spake  like  this 
man!"  being  fervent  and  earnest  in  what  they  said.  But  what 
did  these  things  come  to  in  the  greater  part  of  them? 

A  person  may  be  over-full  of  talk  of  his  own  experiences; 
commonly  falling  upon  it,  every  where,  and  in  all  companies; 
and  when  it  is  so,  it  is  rather  a  dark  sign  than  a  good  one.  As 
a  tree,  that  is  over  full  of  leaves,  seldom  bears  much  fruity  and 
as  a  cloud,  though  to  appearance  very  pregnant  and  full  of  water, 
if  it  brings  with  it  over-much  wind,  seldom  affords  much  rain  to 
the  dry  and  thirsty  earth:  which  very  thing  the  Holy  Spirit  is 
pleased  several  times  to  make  use  of,  to  represent  a  great  show  of 
religion  with  the  mouth,  without  answerable  fruit  in  the  life. 
Prov.  XXV.  14.  "  Whoso  boasteth  himself  of  a  false  gift,  is  like 
clouds  and  wind  without  rain."  And  the  apostle  Jude,  speaking 
of  some  in  the  primitive  times,  that  crept  in  unawares  among 
the  saints,  and  having  a  great  show  of  religion,  were  for  a  while 


3U 


n 


^ 


63  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

not  suspected,  "These  are  clouds  (says  he)  without  water,  car- 
ried about  of  winds."  Jude,  ver.  4  and  12.  And  the  apostle  Pe- 
ter, speaking  of  the  same,  says,  2  Pet.  ii.  17.  "  These  are  cloud* 
without  water  carried  with  a  tempest." 

False  affections,  if  they  are  actually  strong,  are  much  more 
forward  to  declare  themrflves,  than  true:  because  it  is  the  nature 
of  false  religion  to  affect  show  and  observation,  as  it  was  with  the 
pharisees.f 

IV.  It  is  no  sign  that  affections  are  gracious,  or  that  they  are 
otherwise,  that  persons  did  not  make  them  themselves,  or  excite 
them  of  their  own  contrivance,  and  by  their  own  strength. 

There  are  many  in  these  days  that  condemn  all  affections 
which  are  excited  in  a  way  that  the  subjects  of  them  can  give  no 
account  of,  as  not  seeming  to  be  the  fruit  of  any  of  their  own  en- 
deavours, or  the  natural  consequence  of  the  faculties  and  princi- 
ples of  human  nature,  in  such  circumstances  and  under  such 
means;  but  to  be  from  the  influence  of  some  extrinsic  and  super- 
natural power  upon  their  minds.  How  greatly  has  the  doctrine 
of  the  inward  experience,  or  sensible  perceiving  of  the  immediate 
power  and  operation  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  been  reproached  and 

f  That  famous  experimental  divine,  Mr.  Shepard,  says,  *' A  pliarisee's 
trumpet  shall  be  heard  to  the  town's  end;  when  simplicity  walks  through 
the  town  unseen.  Hence  a  man  will  sometimes  covertly  commend  himself^ 
(and  myself  ever  comes  in)  and  tells  you  a  long  story  of  conversion;  and 
an  hundred  to  one,  if  some  lie  or  other  slip  not  out  with  it.  Why,  the  se- 
cret meaning  is,  /  pray  admire  me.  Hence  complain  of  wants  and  weak- 
nesses; pray  think  -what  a  broken-hearted  Christian  I  am."  Parable  of  the 
ten  virgins,  Part  I.  page  179,  180. 

And  holy  Mr.  Flavel  says  thus,  "O  reader,  if  thy  heart  were  right  with 
God,  and  thou  didst  not  cheat  thyself  with  a  vain  profession,  thou  wouldst 
have  frequent  business  with  God,  which  thou  wouldst  be  loth  thy  dearest 
friend,  or  the  wife  of  thy  bosom,  should  be  privy  to.  ^on  est  reliffio,  ubi 
omnia  pjtent.  Religion  doth  not  lie  open  to  all,  to  the  eyes  of  men.  Ob- 
-irrrr^l  diH^i^'i  iTinint"'"  "'ir  rrpdit;  but  secret  duties  maintain  our  life.  It 
was  the  saying  of  an  heathen,  about  this  secret  correspondency  with  his 
friend,  What  need  the  ivorld  be  acquaitited  -with  it?  Thou  and  I  are  theatre 
tnough  to  each  other.  There  are  inclosed  pleasures  in  religion,  which  none 
but  renewed  spiritual  souls  do  feelingly  understand."  FlaveVs  Touchstone 
ff  Sijicerity,  Chap,  II.  sect.  2. 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  Qo 

ridiculed  by  many  of  late?  They  say  the  manner  of  the  Spirit 
of  God  is  to  co-operate  in  a  silent,  secret,  and  undiscernible  way 
with  the  use  of  means  and  our  own  endeavours;  so  that  there  is 
no  distinguishing,  by  sense,  between  the  influences  of  the  Spirit 
of  God,  and  the  natural  operations  of  the  faculties  of  our  own 
minds. 

And  it  is  true,  that  for  any  to  expect  to  receive  the  saving  in- 
fluences of  the  Spirit  of  God,  while  they  neglect  a  diligent  im- 
provement of  the  appointed  means  of  grace,  is  unreasonable  pre- 
sumption. And  to  expect  that  the  Spirit  of  God  will  savingly 
operate  upon  their  minds,  without  the  Spirit's  making  use  of 
means  as  subservient  to  the  effect,  is  enthusiastical.  It  is  also 
undoubtedly  true,  that  the  Spirit  of  God  is  very  various  in  the 
manner  and  circumstances  of  his  operations,  and  that  sometimes 
he  operates  in  a  way  more  secret  and  gradual,  and  from  smaller 
beginnings,  than  at  others. 

But  if  there  be  indeed  a  power  entirely  different  from  and  be- 
yond our  power,  or  the  power  of  all  means  and  instruments,  and 
above  the  power  of  nature,  w^hich  is  requisite  in  order  to  the  pro- 
duction of  saving  grace  in  the  heart,  according  to  the  general  pro- 
fession of  the  country,  then,  certainly,  it  is  in  no  wise  unreason- 
able to  suppose  that  this  effect  should  very  frequently  be  produ- 
ced after  such  a  manner  as  to  make  it  very  manifest,  apparent 
and  sensible  that  it  is  so.  If  grace  be  indeed  owing  to  the  pow- 
erful and  efficacious  operation  of  an  extrinsic  agent,  or  divine 
efficient  out  of  ourselves,  why  is  it  unreasonable  to  suppose  that 
it  should  seem  to  be  so  to  them  who  are  the  subjects  of  it.  Is 
it  a  strange  thing  that  it  should  seem  to  be  as  it  is  ?  When  grace 
in  the  heart  indeed  is  not  produced  by  our  strength,  nor  is  the 
effect  of  the  natural  power  of  our  own  faculties,  or  any  means  or 
instruments,  but  is  properly  the  workmanship  and  production  of 
the  Spirit  of  the  Almightj',  is  it  a  strange  and  unaccountable 
thing  that  it  should  seem  to  them  who  are  subjects  of  it,  agree- 
able to  truth,  and  not  right  contrary  to,truth;  so  that  if  persons 
tell  of  effects  that  they  are  conscious  Njf^in  their  own  minds,  that 
seem  to  them  not  to  be  from  the  natural  power  or  operation  of 


M  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

their  minds,  but  from  the  supernatural  power  of  some  other  agent, 
it  should  at  once  be  looked  upon  as  a  sure  evidence  of  their  being 
under  a  delusion,  because  things  seem  to  them  to  be  as  they  are? 
For  this  is  the  objection  which  is  made:  it  is  looked  upon  as  a 
clear  evidence,  that  the  apprehensions  and  affections  that  many 
persons  have  are  not  really  from  such  a  cause,  because  they  seem 
to  them  to  be  from  that  cause:  they  declare  that  what  they  are 
conscious  of  seems  to  them  evidently  not  to  be  from  themselves, 
but  from  the  mighty  power  of  the  Spirit  of  God;  and  others  from 
hence  condemn  them,  and  determine  what  they  experience  is  not 
from  the  Spirit  of  God,  but  from  themselves,  or  from  the  devil. 
Thus  unreasonably  are  multitudes  treated  at  this  day  by  their 
neighbours. 

If  it  be  indeed  so,  as  the  scripture  abundantly  teaches,  that 
grace  in  the  soul  is  so  the  effects  of  God's  power,  that  it  is  fitly 
compared  to  those  effects  which  are  farthest  from  being  owing  to 
any  strength  in  the  subject,  such  as  a  generation,  or  a  being  be- 
gotten and  resurrection,  or  a  being  raised  from  the  dead  and  cre- 
ation, or  a  being  brought  out  of  nothing  into  being,  and  that  it  is 
an  effect  wherein  the  mighty  power  of  God  is  greatly  glorified, 
and  the  exceeding  greatness  of  his  power  is  manifested,!  then 
what  account  can  be  given  of  it,  that  the  Almighty,  in  so  great  a 
work  of  his  power,  should  so  carefully  hide  his  po^ver  that  the 
subjects  of  it  should  be  able  to  discern  nothing  of  it  ?  or  what 
reason  or  revelation  have  any  to  determine  that  it  does  so  ?  If 
we  may  judge  by  the  scripture  this  is  not  agreeable  to  God's  man- 
ner in  his  operations  and  dispensations;  but,  on  the  contrary,  it  is 
God's  manner,  in  the  great  works  of  his  power  and  mercy,  which 
he  works  for  his  people.  To  order  things  so  as  to  make  his  hand 
visible  and  his  power  conspicuous,  and  mens  dependence  on  him 
most  evident,  that  no  flesh  should  glory  in  his  presence,+  that  God 
alone  might  be  exalted,§  and  that  the  excellency  of  the  power 
might  be  of  God  and  not  of  man,  1|  and  that  Christ's  power  might 

t  Eph.  i.  ir— 20.  §  Isa.  ii.  11. 17. 

i  1  Cor.  i.  27,  28, 29.  \\  2  Cor.  iv.  7. 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  65 

be  manifested  in  our  weakness,!  and  none  might  say,  mine  own 
hand  hath  saved  me.j^  So  it  was  in  most  of  these  temporal  sal- 
vations which  God  v,  rought  for  Israel  of  old,  which  were  types  of 
the  salvation  of  God's  people  from  their  spiritual  enemies.  So  it 
was  in  the  redemption  of  Israel  from  their  Egyptian  bondage;  he 
redeemed  them  with  a  strong  hand  and  an  outstretched  arm;  and 
that  his  power  might  be  the  more  conspicuous  he  suffered  Israel 
first  to  be  brought  into  the  most  helpless  and  forlorn  circumstances. 
So  it  was  in  the  great  redemption  of  Gideon :  God  would  have  his 
army  diminished  to  a  handful,  and  they  without  any  other  arms 
than  trumpets,  and  lamps,  and  earthen  pitchers.  So  it  was  in 
the  deliverance  of  Israel  from  Goliath,  by  a  stripling  with  a  sling 
and  a  stone.  So  it  was  in  the  great  work  of  God,  his  calling  the 
Gentiles  and  converting  the  heathen  world  after  Christ's  ascen- 
sion, after  that  the  world  by  wisdom  knew  not  God,  and  all  the 
endeavours  of  philosophers  had  proved  in  vain,  for  many  ages,  to 
reform  the  world,  and  it  was  by  every  thing  become  abundantly 
evident  that  the  world  was  utterly  helpless  by  any  thing  else  but 
the  mighty  power  of  God.  And  so  it  was  in  most  of  the  conver- 
sions of  particular  persons  we  have  an  account  of  in  the  history 
of  the  New  Testament:  they  were  not  wrought  on  in  that  silent, 
secret,  gradual,  and  insensible  manner  which  is  now  insisted  on; 
but  with  those  manifest  evidences  of  a  supernatural  power,  won- 
derfully and  suddenly  causing  a  gi'eat  change,  which,  in  these  days, 
are  looked  upon  as  certain  signs  of  delusion  and  enthusiasm. 

The  apostle,  in  Eph.  i.  18,  19.  speaks  of  God's  enlightening 
the  minds  of  Christians,  and  so  bringing  them  to  believe  in 
Christ,  to  the  end  that  they  might  know  the  exceeding  greatness 
of  his  power  to  them  who  believe.  The  words  are,  "  The  eyes 
of  your  understanding  being  enlightened,  that  ye  may  know  what 
is  the  hope  of  his  calling,  and  what  the  riches  of  the  glory  of  his 
inheritance  in  the  saints,  and  what  is  the  exceeding  greatjiess  of 
his  power  to  us-ward,  who  believe,  according  to  the  working  of 
his  mighty  power,"  &c.     Now  when  the  apostle  speaks  of  theif 

f  Cor.  xii.  9.  *  Judg.  vii.  2. 


66  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

being  thus  the  subjects  of  his  power,  in  their  enlightening  and 
effectual  calling,  to  the  end  that  they  might  know  what  his  mighty 
power  was  to  them  who  believe,  he  can  mean  nothing  else  than 
"  that  they  might  know  by  experience."  But  if  the  saints  know 
this  power  by  experience,  then  they  feel  it,  and  discern  it,  and 
are  conscious  of  it;  as  sensibly  distinguishable  from  the  natural 
operations  of  their  own  minds,  which  is  not  agreeable  to  a  notion 
of  God's  operating  so  secretly  and  undiscernibly  that  it  can  not 
be  known  that  they  are  the  subjects  of  the  influence  of  any  ex- 
trinsic power  at  all,  any  otherwise  than  as  they  may  argue  it  from 
scripture  assertions,  which  is  a  different  thing  from  knowing  it 
by  experience. 

So  that  it  is  very  unreasonable  and  unscriptural  to  determine 
that  affections  are  not  from  the  gracious  operations  of  God's  Spi- 
rit; because  they  are  sensibly  not  from  the  persons  themselves 
that  are  the  subjects  of  them. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  is  no  evidence  that  affections  are  gracious, 
that  they  are  not  purposely  produced  by  those  who  are  the  sub- 
jects of  them,  or  that  they  arise,  in  their  minds,  in  a  manner  that 
they  can  not  account  for. 

There  are  some  who  make  this  an  argument  in  their  own  fa- 
vour; when  speaking  of  what  they  have  experienced,  they  say 
"  I  am  sure  I  did  not  make  it  myself;  it  was  a  fruit  of  no  contriv- 
ance or  endeavour  of  mine;  it  came  when  I  thought  nothing  of  it; 
if  I  might  have  the  world  for  it,  I  can  not  make  it  again  when  I 
please."  And  hence  they  determine,  that  what  they  have  expe- 
rienced, must  be  from  the  mighty  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God, 
and  is  of  a  saving  nature;  but  very  ignorantly  and  without  grounds. 
Wliat  they  have  been  the  subjects  of  may  indeed  not  be  from 
themselves  directly,  but  may  be  from  the  operation  of  an  invisible 
agent,  some  spirit  besides  their  own:  but  it  does  not  thence  fol- 
low that  it  was  from  the  Spirit  of  God.  There  are  other  spirits 
who  have  influence  on  the  minds  of  men  besides  the  Holy  Ghost. 
We  are  directed  not  to  believe  every  spirit,  but  to  try  the  spirits, 
whether  they  be  of  God.  There  are  many  false  spirits  exceed- 
ingly busy  ivith  men,  who  often  transform  themselves  into  angels 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  67 

of  light,  and  do  in  many  wonderful  ways,  with  great  subtilty  and 
power,  mimic  the  operations  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  And  there  are 
many  of  Satan's  operation,  which  are  very  distinguishable  from 
the  voluntary  exercises  of  mens  own  minds.  They  are  so  in  those 
dreadful  and  horrid  suggestions  and  blasphemous  injections  with 
which  he  follows  many  persons,  and  in  vain  and  fruitless  frights 
and  terrors  which  he  is  the  author  of.  And  the  power  of  Satan 
may  be  as  immediate,  and  as  evident  in  false  comforts  and  joys,  as 
in  terrors  and  horrid  suggestions,  and  oftentimes  is  so  in  fact.  It 
is  not  in  mens  power,  to  put  themselves  into  such  raptures  as  the 
Anabaptists  in  Germany,  and  many  other  raving  enthusiasts  like 
them,  have  been  the  subjects  of. 

And  besides,  it  is  to  be  considered,  that  persons  may  have  tliose 
impressions  on  their  minds  which  may  not  be  of  their  own  pro- 
ducing, nor  from  an  evil  spirit,  but  from  the  Spirit  of  God,  and 
yet  not  be  from  any  saving,  but  a  common  influence  of  the  Spirit 
of  God:  and  the  subjects  of  such  impressions  may  be  of  the  num- 
ber of  those  we  read  of,  Heb.  vi.  4, 5.  "that  are  once  enlighten- 
ed, and  taste  of  the  heavenly  gift,  and  are  made  partakers  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  and  taste  the  good  word  of  God,  and  the  power  of 
the  world  to  come;"  and  yet  may  be  wholly  unacquainted  with 
those  "better  things  that  accompany  salvation,"  spoken  of  ver.  9. 

And,  where  neither  a  good  nor  evil  spirit  have  any  immediate  ' 
hand,  persons,   especially  such   as  are  of  a  weak  and  vapoury  c 

habit  of  body,  and  the  brain  weak,  and  easily  susceptive  of  im-  ci'*^^. 
pressions,  may  have  strange  apprehensions  and  imaginations,  and 
strong  affections  attending  them,  unaccountably  arising,  wiiich 
are  not  voluntarily  produced  by  themselves.  We  see  that  such 
persons  are  liable  to  such  impressions  about  temporal  things,  and 
there  is  equal  reason  why  they  should  about  spiritual  things.  As 
a  person  who  is  asleep  has  dreams  that  he  is  not  the  voluntary 
author  of,  so  may  such  persons,  in  like  manner,  be  the  subjects  of 
involuntary  impressions  when  they  are  awake. 

V.  It  is  no  sign  that  religious  affections  are  truly  holy  and  spi- 
ritual, or  that  they  are  not,  that  they  come  with  texts  of  scripture 
remarkably  brought  to  the  mind. 


68  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

It  is  no  sign  that  affections  are  not  gracious  that  they  are  occa- 
sioned by  scriptures  so  coming  to  mind;  provided  it  be  the  scrip- 
ture itself,  or  the  truth  which  the  scripture  so  brought  contains 
and  teaches,  that  is  the  foundation  of  the  affection,  and  not  mere- 
ly or  mainly  the  sudden  unusual  manner  of  its  coming  to  the 
mind. 

But  on  the  other  hand,  neither  is  it  any  sign  that  affections  are 
gracious,  that  they  arise  on  occasion  of  scriptures  brought  sudden- 
ly and  wonderfully  to  the  mind,  whether  those  affections  be  fear 
or  hope,  joy  or  sorrow,  or  any  other.  Some  seem  to  look  upon 
this  as  a  good  evidence  that  their  affections  are  saving,  especially 
if  the  affections  excited  are  hope  or  joy,  or  any  other  which  are 
pleasing  and  delightful.  They  will  mention  it  as  an  evidence 
that  all  is  right,  that  their  experience  came  with  the  word,  and 
will  say,  "  There  were  such  and  such  sweet  promises  brought  to 
my  mind:  they  came  suddenly  as  if  they  were  spoke  to  me:  I  had 
no  hand  in  bringing  such  a  text  to  my  own  mind:  I  was  not  think- 
ing of  any  thing  leading  to  it;  it  came  all  at  once,  so  that  I  was 
surprised  I  had  not  thought  of  it  a  long  time  before;  I  did  not 
know  at  first  that  it  was  scripture;  I  did  not  remember  that  ever 
I  had  read  it."  And  it  may  be  they  will  add,  "  One  scripture 
came  flowing  in  after  another,  and  so  texts  all  over  the  Bible,  the 
most  sweet  and  pleasant,  and  the  most  apt  and  suitable  which 
could  be  devised,  and  filled  me  full  as  I  could  hold:  I  could  not 
but  stand  and  admire;  the  tears  flowed:  I  was  full  of  joy  and 
could  not  doubt  any  longer."  And  thus  they  think  they  have  un- 
doubted evidence  that  their  affections  must  be  from  God,  and  of 
the  right  kind,  and  their  state  good:  but  without  any  manner  of 
grounds.  How  come  they  by  any  such  rule,  as  that  if  any  affec- 
tions or  experiences  arise  with  promises,  and  comfortable  texts  of 
scripture,  unaccountably  brought  to  mind,  without  their  recollec- 
tion, or  if  a  great  number  of  sweet  texts  follow  one  another  in  a 
chain,  that  this  is  a  certain  evidence  their  experiences  are  saving? 
Where  is  any  such  rule  to  be  found  in  the  Bible,  the  great  and 
only  sure  directory  in  things  of  this  nature? 

What  deceives  many  of  the  less  understanding  and  considerate 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  69 

sort  of  people,  in  this  matter,  seems  to  be  this;  that  the  scripture 
is  the  word  of  God,  and  has  nothing  in  it  which  is  wrong,  but  is 
pure  and  perfect;  and,  therefore,  those  experiences  which  come 
from  the  scripture  must  be  right.   But  then  it  should  be  considered, 
affections  may  arise  on  occasion  of  the  scripture  and  not  properly 
come  from  the  scripture,  as  the  genuine  fruit  of  the  scripture,  and 
by  a  right  use  of  it;  but  from  an  abuse  of  it.     All  that  can  be 
argued  from  the  purity  and  perfection  of  the  word  of  God,  with 
respect  to  experiences,  is  this,  that  those  experiences  which  are 
agreeable  to  the  word  of  God  are  right,  and  cannot  be  otherwise; 
and  not  that  those  affections  must  be  right  which  arise  on  occasion 
of  the  word  of  God  coming  to  the  mind. 
j       What  evidence  is  there  that  the  devil  cannot  bring  texts  of 
scripture  to  the  mind,   and  misapply  them  to  deceive  persons? 
There  seems  to  be  nothing  in  this  which  exceeds  the  power  of 
Satan.     It  is  no  work  of  such  mighty  power  to  bring  sounds  or 
letters  to  persons'  minds,  that  we  have  any  reason  to  suppose  no- 
thing short  of  Omnipotence  can  be  sufficient  for  it.     If  Satan  has 
power  to  bring  any  words  or  sounds  at  all  to  persons'  minds,  he 
may  have  power  to  bring  words  contained  in  the  Bible.     There 
is  no  higher  sort  of  power  required  in  men  to  make  the  sounds 
which  express  the  words  of  a  text  of  scripture,  than  to  make  the 
sounds  which  express  the  words  of  an  idle  story  or  song.     And 
so  the  same  power  in  Satan,  which  is  sufficient  to  renew  one  of 
those  kinds  of  sounds  in  the  mind,  is  sufficient  to  renew  the  other: 
the  different  signification,  which  depends  wholly  on  custom,  alters 
not  the  case  as  to  ability  to  make  or  revive  the  sounds  or  letters. 
Or  will  any  suppose  that  texts  or  scriptures  are  such  sacred  things 
that  the  devil  durst  not  abuse  them  nor  touch  them?    In  this  also 
they  are  mistaken.     He  who  was  bold  enough  to  lay  hold  on 
Christ  himself,  and  carry  him  hither  and  thither,  into  the  wilder- 
ness, and  into  an  high  mountain,  and  to  a  pinnacle  of  the  temple, 
is  not  afraid  to  touch  the  scripture  and  abuse  that  for  his  own 
purposes:  as  he  showed  at  the  same  time  that  he  was  so  bold  with 
Christ,  he  then  brought  one  scripture  and  anolh.er  to  deceive  and 
tempt  him.     And  if  Satan  did  presume,  and  was  permitted  to  put 


70  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

Christ  himself  id  mind  of  texts  of  scripture,  to  tempt  kim,  what 
reason  have  we  to  detennine  that  he  dare  not,  or  will  not  ho,  per- 
mitted to  put  wicked  men  in  mind  of  texts  of  scripture  to  tempt 
and  deceive  them?  And  if  Satan  may  thus  abuse  one  text  of 
scripture,  so  he  may  another.  Its  being  a  very  excellent  place 
of  scripture,  a  comfortable  and  precise  promise,  alters  not  the  case,^ 
as  to  his  courage  or  ability.  And  if  he  can  bring  one  comfortable 
text  to  the  mind,  so  he  may  a  thousand;  and  may  choose  out  such 
scriptures  as  tend  most  to  serve  his  purpose;  and  may  heap  up 
scripture-promises,  tending,  according  to  the  perverse  applica- 
tion he  makes  of  them,  wonderfully  to  remove  the  rising  doubts, 
and  to  confirm  the  false  joy  and  confidence  of  a  poor  deluded 
sinner. 

We  know  the  devil's  instruments,  corrupt  and  heretical  teach- 
ers, can  and  do  pervert  the  scripture  to  their  own  and  others' 
damnation,  2  Pet.  iii,  16.  We  see  they  have  the  free  use  of 
scripture  in  every  part  of  it:  there  is  no  text  so  precious  and  sa- 
cred but  they  are  permitted  to  abuse  it,  to  the  eternal  ruin  of 
multitudes  of  souls;  and  there  are  no  weapons  they  make  use  of 
with  which  they  do  more  execution.  And  there  is  no  manner  of 
reason  to  determine,  that  the  devil  is  not  permitted  thus  to  use 
the  scripture,  as  well  as  his  instruments.  For  when  the  latter  do 
it,  they  do  it  as  his  instruments  and  servants,  and  through  his  in- 
stigation and  influence;  and  doubtless  he  does  the  same  he  insti- 
gates others  to  do;  the  devil's  servants  do  but  follow  their  master, 
and  do  the  same  work  that  he  does  himself. 

And  as  the  devil  can  abuse  the  scripture  to  deceive  and  destroy 
men,  so  may  mens  own  folly  and  corruptions  as  well.  The  sin 
which  is  in  men  acts  like  its  father.  Mens  own  hearts  are  de- 
ceitful like  the  devil,  and  use  the  same  means  to  deceive. 

So  that  it  is  evident,  that  persons  may  have  high  affections  of  hope 
and  joy,  arising  on  occasion  of  texts  of  scripture,  yea,  precious  pro- 
mises of  scripture  coming  suddenly  and  remarkably  to  their  minds, 
as  though  they  were  spoken  to  them,  yea,  a  great  multitude  of 
such  tejrts,  following  one  another  in  a  wonderful  manner,  and  yet 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS,  71 

all  this  be  no  argument  that  these  affections  are  divine,  or  that 
they  are  any  other  than  the  effects  of  Satan's  delusions. 

And  I  would  further  observe,  that  persons  may  have  raised  and 
joyful  affections,  which  may  come  with  the  word  of  God,  and  not 
only  so,  but  from  the  word,  and  those  affections  not  be  from  Satan, 
nor  yet  properly  from  the  corruptions  of  their  own  hearts,  but 
from  some  influence  of  the  spirit  of  God,  with  the  word,  and  yet 
have  nothing  of  the  nature  of  true  and  saving  religion  in  them. 
Thus  the  stony  ground  hearers  had  great  joy  from  the  word;  yea, 
which  is  represented  as  arising  from  the  word  as  growth  from  a 
seed;  and  their  affections  had,  in  their  appearance,  a  very  great 
resemblance  with  those  represented  with  the  growth  on  the  good 
ground,  the  difference  not  appearing  until  it  was  discovered  by 
the  consequences  in  a  tiiftep|^  trial:  and  yet  there  was  no  saving 
reliafion  in  these  affections.! 

VI.  It  is  no  evidence  that  religious  anfctions  are  saving,  or 
that  they  are  otherwise,  that  there  is  an  appearance  of  love  in 
them. 

There  are  no  professing  Christians  who  pretend  that  this  is  an 
argument  against  the  truth  and  saving  nature  of  religious  affec- 
tions. But,  on  the  other  hand,  there  are  some  who  suppose  it  is 
a  good  evidence  that  affections  are  from  the  sanctifying  and  sav- 
ing influences  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  Their  argument  is,  that  Satan 
can  not  love;  this  affection  being  directly  contrary  to  the  devil, 
whose  very  nature  is  enmity  and  malice.  And  it  is  true  that  no- 
thing is  more  excellent,  heavenly,  and  divine,  than  a  spirit  of 
true  Christian  love  to. God  and  men:  it  is  more  excellent  than 
knowledge,  or  prophecy,  or  miracles,  or  speaking  with  the  tongue 
of  men  and  angels.  It  is  the  chief  of  the  graces  of  God''s  Spirit, 
and  the  life,  essence,  and  sum  of  all  true  religion;  and  that  by 

-j-  Mr.  Stoddard,  in  his  Guide  to  Christ,  speaks  of  it  as  a  common  tiling 
for  persons  whfie  A  a  natural  condition,  and  before  they  have  ever  truly 
accepted  Christ,  to  have  scripture  promises  come  to  them  with  a  great  deal 
of  refreshing;  which  they  take  as  tokens  of  God's  love,  and  hope  tliat  God 
has  accepted  them;  and  so  are  confident  of  their  good  estate.  Page  8,  9. 
Impression  anno  1735. 


'i2  WHAT  ARK  AC)  SIGNS 

which  we  are  most  conformed  to  heaven,  and  most  contrary  to 
hell  and  the  devil.  But  yet  it  is  ill  arguing  from  hence  that  there 
are  no  counterfeits  of  it.  It  may  be  observed  that  the  more 
excellent  any  thing  is,  the  more  will  be  the  counterfeits  of  it. 
Thus  there  are  many  more  counterfeits  of  silver  and  gold  than 
of  iron  and  copjjer:  there  are  many  false  diamonds  and  rubies, 
but  who  goes  about  to  counterfeit  common  stones?  Though 
the  more  excellent  things  are,  the  more  difficult  it  is  to  make 
any  thing  that  shall  be  like  them,  in  their  essential  nature 
and  internal  virtue;  yet  the  more  manifold  will  the  counter- 
feits be,  and  the  more  will  art  and  subtilty  be  displayed  in  an 
exact  imitation  of  the  outward  appearance.  Thus  there  is  the 
greatest  danger  of  being  cheated  in  buying  of  medicines  that  are 
most  excellent  and  sovereign,  though  it  be  most  difficult  to  imi- 
tate them  with  any  thing  of  the  like  value  and  virtue,  and  their 
counterfeits  are  good  for  nothing  when  we  have  them.  So  it  is 
with  Christian  virtues  and  graces;  the  subtilty  of  Satan  and 
mens  deceitful  hearts  are  wont  chiefly  to  be  exercised  in  coun- 
terfeiting those  that  are  in  highest  repute.  So  there  are,  perhaps, 
no  graces  that  have  more  counterfeits  than  love  and  humility; 
these  being  virtues  wherein  the  beauty  of  a  true  Christian  does 
especially  appear. 

But  with  respect  to  love,  it  is  plain,  by  the  scripture,  that  per- 
sons may  have  a  kind  of  religious  love,  and  yet  have  no  saving 
grace.  Christ  speaks  of  many  professing  Christians  that  have 
such  love,  whose  love  will  not  continue,  and  so  shall  fail  of  sal- 
vation, Matth.  xxiv.  12,  13.  "And  because  iniquity  shall  abound, 
the  love  of  many  shall  wax  cold.  But  he  that  shall  endure  unto 
the  end,  the  same  shall  be  saved."  Which  latter  words  plainly 
show,  that  those  spoken  of  before,  whose  love  shall  not  endure 
to  the  end,  but  wax  cold,  should  not  be  saved. 

Persons  may  seem  to  have  love  to  God  and  Ct  'ist,  yea,  to  have 
very  strong  and  violent  affisctions  of  this  nature,  and  yet  have  no 
grace.  For  this  was  evidently  the  case  with  many  graceless  Jews, 
such  as  cried  Jesus  up  so  high,  following  him  day  and  night,  with- 
out meat,  drink,  or  sleep;  such  as  said,  "  Lord,  I  will  follow  thee 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS,  73 

whithersoever  thou  goest,"  and  cried,  "  Hosanna  to  the  Son  of 
David."! 

The  apostle  seems  to  intimate  that  there  were  many  in  his 
days  who  had  a  counterfeit  love  to  Christ,  in  Eph.  vi.  24.  "  Grace 
be  with  all  of  them,  that  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  in  sincerity." 
The  last  word,  in  the  original,  signifies  in  corruption;  which 
shows  that  the  apostle  was  sensible  that  there  were  many  who 
had  a  kind  of  love  to  Christ,  whose  love  was  not  pure  and  spi- 
ritual. 

So  also  Christian  love  to  the  people  of  God  may  be  counter- 
feited. It  is  evident,  by  the  scripture,  that  there  may  be  strong 
affections  of  this  kind  without  saving  grace,  as  there  were  in  the 
Galatians  towards  the  apostle  Paul,  when  they  were  ready  to 
pluck  out  their  eyes  and  give  them  to  him;  although  the  apostle 
expresses  his  fear  that  their  affections  were  come  to  nothing,  and 
that  he  had  bestowed  upon  them  labour  in  vain.  Gal.  iv.  11,  15. 

VII,  Persons  having  religious  affections  of  many  kinds  accom- 
j  panying  one  another,  is  not  sufficient  to  determine  whether  they 
have  any  gracious  affections  or  not. 

Though  false  religion  is  wont  to  be  maimed  and  monstrous,  and 
not  to  have  that  entireness  and  symmetry  of  parts,  which  is  to  be 
seen  in  true  religion:  yet  there  may  be  a  great  variety  of  false 
affections  together,  that  may  resemble  gracious  affections. 

It  is  evident  that  there  are  counterfeits  of  all  kinds  of  gracious 
affections,  as  of  love  to  God,  and  love  to  the  brethren,  as  has  been 
just  now  observed;  so  of  godly  sorrow  for  sin,  as  in  Pharaoh,  Saul, 
and  Ahab,  and  the  children  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness,  Exod,  ix. 
27.  1  Sam.  xxiv.  IG,  17.  and  xxvi.  21.  1  Kings  xxi.  27.  Numb, 
xiv.  39,  40.;  and  of  the  fear  of  God,  as  in  the  Samaritans,  "  who 

f  Agreeably  to  this  Mr.  Stoddard  observes,  in  his  Guide  to  Christ,  that 
some  sinners  iiave  pangs  of  affection,  and  give  an  account  that  tiiey  find  a 
spirit  of  love  to  God,  and  of  their  aiming  at  the  glory  of  God,  having  that 
which  has  a  great  resemblance  of  saving  grace;  and  that  sometimes  their 
common  affections  are  stronger  than  saving.  And  supposes  that  sometimes 
natural  men  may  have  such  violent  pangs  of  false  affection  to  God,  that 
they  may  think  themselves  willing  to  be  damned.    Page  21  and  65. 


74  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

feared  the  Lord,  and  served  their  own  gods  at  the  same  time,"  2 
Kings  xvii.  32,33.;  and  those  enemies  of  God  we  read  of,  Psal, 
Ixvi.  3,  who,  "  through  the  greatness  of  God's  power,  submit  them- 
selves to  him,  or,  as  it  is  in  the  Hebrew,  lie  unto  him,"  i.  e.  yield 
a  counterfeit  reverence  and  submission:  so  of  a  gracious  gratitude, 
as  in  the  children  of  Israel,  who  sang  God's  praise  at  the  Red  Sea, 
Psal.  cvi.  12.  and  Naaman  the  Syrian,  after  his  miraculous  cure 
of  his  leprosy,  2  Kings  v.  15,  &c. 

So  of  spiritual  joy,  as  in  the  stony-ground  hearers,  Matth.  xiii. 
20.  and  particularly  many  of  John  the  Baptist's  hearers,  John  v. 
35.  So  of  zeal,  as  in  Jehu,  2  Kings  x.  16.  and  in  Paul  before 
his  conversion.  Gal.  i.  14.  Phil.  iii.  6.  and  the  unbelieving  Jews, 
Acts  xxii.  3.  Rom.  x.  2.  So  graceless  persons  may  have  earnest 
religious  desires,  which  may  be  like  Balaam's  desires,  which  he 
expresses  under  an  extraordinary  view  that  he  had  of  the  happy 
state  of  God's  people,  as  distinguished  from  all  the  rest  of  the 
world,  Numb,  xxiii.  9,  10.  They  may  also  have  a  strong  hope 
of  eternal  life,  as  the  pharisees  had. 

And  as  men,  Avhile  in  a  state  of  nature,  are  capable  of  a  resem- 
blance of  all  kinds  of  religious  affections,  so  nothing  hinders,  but 
that  they  may  have  many  of  them  together.  And  what  appears 
in  fact  does  abundantly  evince  that  it  is  very  often  so  indeed.  It 
seems  commonly  to  be  so,  that  when  false  affections  are  raised 
high,  there  are  many  false  affections  attend  each  other.  The  mul- 
titude that  attended  Christ  into  Jerusalem,  after  that  great  mira- 
cle of  raising  Lazarus,  seemed  to  be  moved  with  many  religious  af- 
fections at  once,  and  all  in  a  high  degree.  They  seemed  to  be  filled 
with  admiration,  and  there  was  a  show  of  an  high  affection  of  love, 
and  also  of  a  great  degree  of  reverence,  in  their  laying  their  gar- 
ments on  the  ground  for  Christ  to  tread  upon;  and  also  of  great 
gratitude  to  him  for  the  great  and  good  works  he  had  wrought, 
praising  him  with  loud  voices  for  his  salvation;  and  earnest  de- 
sires of  the  coming  of  God's  kingdom,  which  they  supposed  Jesus 
was  now  about  to  set  up,  and  showed  great  hopes  and  raised  ex- 
pectations of  it,  expecting  it  would  immediately  appear;  and  hence 
were  filled  with  joy,  by  which  they  were  so  animated  in  their  ac- 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  75 

clamations  as  make  the  whole  city  ring  with  the  noise  of  them, 
and  appeared  great  in  their  zeal  and  forwardness  to  attend  Jesus, 
and  assist  him  without  further  delay,  now  in  the  time  of  the  great 
feast  of  the  passover,  to  set  up  his  kingdom.  And  it  is  easy  from 
nature  and  the  nature  of  the  affections,  to  give  an  account  why, 
when  one  affection  is  raised  very  high,  that  it  should  excite  others; 
especially  if  that  affection  which  is  raised  high  be  that  of  counter- 
feit love,  as  it  was  in  the  multitude  wlio  cried  Hosanna.  This 
will  naturally  draw  many  other  affections  after  it.  For,  as  was 
observed  before,  love  is  the  chief  of  the  affections,  and  as  it  were, 
the  fountain  of  them.  Let  us  suppose  a  person  who  has  been  for 
some  time  in  great  exercise  and  terror  through  fear  of  hell,  and 
his  heart  weakened  with  distress  and  dreadful  apprehensions,  and 
upon  the  brink  of  despair,  and  is  all  at  once  delivered,  by  being 
firmly  made  to  believe,  through  some  delusion  of  Satan,  that  God 
has  pardoned  him,  and  accepts  him  as  the  object  of  his  dear  love, 
and  promises  him  eternal  life;  as,  suppose  through  some  vision  or 
strong  idea  or  imagination,  suddenly  excited  in  him,  of  a  person 
with  a  beautiful  countenance,  smiling  on  him,  and  with  arms 
open,  and  with  blood  dropping  down,  which  the  person  conceivC) 
to  be  Christ,  without  any  other  enlightening  of  the  understand- 
ing to  give  a  view  of  the  spiritual  divine  excellency  of  Christ  and 
his  fulness,  and  of  the  way  of  salvation  revealed  in  the  gospel:  or 
perhaps  by  some  voice  or  words  coming,  as  if  they  were  spoken 
to  him,  such  as  these,  "  Son,  be  of  good  cheer,  thy  sins  be  for- 
given thee;"  or,  "  Fear  not,  it  is  the  Father's  good  pleasure  to  give 
you  the  kingdom,"  which  he  takes  to  be  immediately  spoken  by 
God  to  him,  though  there  was  no  preceding  acceptance  of  Christ, 
or  closing  of  the  heart  with  him:  I  say,  if  we  should  suppose  such 
a  case,  what  various  passions  would  naturally  crowd  at  once,  or 
one  after  another,  into  such  a  person's  mind?  It  is  easy  to  be  ac- 
counted for  from  mere  principles  of  nature,  that  a  person's  heart, 
on  such  an  occasion,  should  be  raised  up  to  the  skies  with  trans- 
ports of  joy,  and  be  fdled  with  fervent  affection  to  that  imaginary 
God  or  Redeemer,  who  he  supposes  has  thus  rescued  him  from 
thejaAvs  of  such  dreadful  destruction,  that  his  soul  was  so  amazed 
with  the  fears  of,  and  has  received  him  with  such  endearment  as 


76  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

a  peculiar  favourite;  and  that  now  he  should  be  filled  with  admira- 
tion and  gratitude,  and  his  mouth  should  be  opened,  and  be  full 
of  talk  about  what  he  has  experienced;  and  that,  for  a  while,  he 
should  think  and  speak  of  scarce  any  thing  else,  and  should  seem 
to  magnify  that  God  who  has  done  so  much  for  him,  and  call  up- 
on others  to  rejoice  with  him,  and  appear  with  a  cheerful  coun- 
tenance, and  talk  with  a  loud  voice:  and  however,  before  his  de- 
liverance, he  was  full  of  quarrellings  against  the  justice  of  God, 
that  now  it  should  be  easy  for  him  to  submit  to  God  and  own  his 
unworthiness,  and  cry  out  against  himself,  and  appear  to  be  very 
humble  before  God,  and  lie  at  his  feet  as  tame  as  a  lamb;  and 
that  he  should  now  confess  his  unworthiness  and  cry  out,  "  Why 
me?  why  me?"  (Like  Saul,  who,  when  Samuel  told  him  that  God 
had  appointed  him  to  be  king,  makes  answer, "  Am  not  I  a  Ben- 
jamite,  of  the  smallest  of  the  tribes  of  Israel,  and  my  family  the 
least  of  all  the  families  of  the  tribe  of  Benjamin?  wherefore 
then  speakest  thou  so  to  me?"     Much  in  the  language  of  David, 
the  true  saint,  2  Sam.  vii.  18.  "  Who  am  I,  and  what  is  my  fa- 
ther's house,  that  thou  hast  brought  me  hitherto?")  Nor  is  it  to  be 
wondered  at,  that  now  he  should  delight  to  be  with  them  who 
acknowledge  and  applaud  his  happy  circumstances,  and  should 
love  all  such  as  esteem  and  admire  him  and  what  he  has  experi- 
enced, and  have  violent  zeal  against  all  such  as  would  make  no- 
thing of  such  things,  and  be  disposed  openly  to  separate,  and  as 
it  were  to  proclaim  war  Avith  all  who  be  not  of  his  party,  and 
should  now  glory  in  his  suffering,  and  be  very  much  for  con- 
demning and  censuring  all  who   seem  to  doubt  or  make  any 
difficulty  of  these  things;  and  while  the  warmth  of  his  affections 
lasts,  should  be  mighty  forward  to  take  pains  and  deny  himself  to 
promote  the  interest  of  the  party  who  he  imagines  favours  such 
things,  and  seem  earnestly  desirous  to  increase  the  number  of 
them,  as  the  pharisees  compassed  sea  and  land  to  make  one  prose- 
lyte.\  And  so  I  might  go  on  and  mention  many  other  things  which 

f  "  Associating  with  godly  men  does  not  prove  that  a  man  has  grace:  Achi- 
thophel  was  David's  companion.  Sorrows  for  the  afflictions  of  the  church, 
and  desires  for  the  conversion  of  souls,  do  not  prove  it.  These  things  may 
be  fi>und  in  carnal  men,  and  so  can  be  no  evidences  of  grace."  Stoddart's 

NaTUBE  of  SAVIIfG  CONVERSIOK,  p.  82. 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  17 

will  naturally  arise  in  such  circumstances.  He  must  have  but 
slightly  considered  human  nature,  who  thinks  such  things  as  these 
can  not  arise  in  this  manner  without  any  supernatural  interposi- 
tion of  his  divine  power. 

As  from  true  divine  love  flow  all  Christian  affections,  so  from  a 
counterfeit  love  in  like  manner  naturally  flow  other  false  affec- 
tions. In  both  cases  love  is  the  fountain  and  the  other  affections 
are  the  streams.  The  various  faculties,  principles  and  affections 
of  the  human  nature  are,  as  it  were,  many  channels  from  one 
fountain:  if  there  be  sweet  water  in  the  fountain,  sweet  water 
will  from  thence  flow  out  into  those  various  channels;  but  if  the 
water  in  the  fountain  be  poisonous,  then  streams  will  also  flow 
out  into  all  those  channels.  So  that  the  channels  and  streams 
will  be  alike  corresponding  one  with  another;  but  the  great  differ- 
ence will  lie  in  the  nature  of  the  water.  Or,  man's  nature  may 
be  compared  to  a  tree  with  many  branches  coming  from  one  root: 
if  the  sap  in  the  root  be  good,  there  will  also  be  good  sap  distribu- 
ted throughout  the  branches,  and  the  fruit  that  is  brought  forth  will 
be  good  and  wholesome;  but  if  the  sap  in  the  root  and  stock  be 
poisonous,  so  it  will  be  in  many  branches,  (as  in  the  other  case) 
and  the  fruit  will  be  deadly.  The  tree  in  both  cases  may  be 
alike;  there  may  be  an  exact  resemblance  in  shape;  but  the  dif- 

I  ference  is  found  only  in  eating  the  fruit.  It  is  thus,  in  some  mea- 
sure at  least,  oftentimes  between  saints  and  hypocrites.  There  is 
sometimes  a  very  great  similitude  between  true  and  false  experi- 
ences, and  in  what  is  expressed  and  related  by  the  subjects  of  them: 
and  the  difference  between  them  is  much  like  the  difference  be- 
tween the  dreams  of  Pharaoh's  chief  butler  and  baker;  they  seem- 
ed to  be  much  alike,  insomuch  that  when  Joseph  interpreted  the 
chief  butler's  dream,  that  he  should  be  delivered  from  his  im- 
prisonment and  restored  to  the  king's  favour  and  his  honourable 
office  in  the  palace,  the  chief  baker  had  raised  hopes  and  expecta- 
tions and  told  his  dream  also;  but  he  was  wofully  disappointed; 
and  though  his  dream  was  so  much  like  the  happy  and  well-boding 
dream  of  his  companion,  yet  it  was  quite  contrary  in  its  issue. 

-\    VIII,  Nothing  can  certainly  be  determined  concerning  the  na- 


78  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

ture  of  the  affections  by  this,  that  comforts  and  J03  s  seem  to  follow 
awakenings  and  convictions  of  conscience  in  a  certain  order. 

Many  persons  seem  to  be  prejudiced  against  affections  and  ex- 
periences, that  come  in  such  a  method,  as  has  been  much  insisted 
on  by  many  divines;  first,  such  awakenings,  fears,  and  awful  ap- 
V/A^v**^  prehensions,  followed  with  such  Jegal  humblings,  in  a  sense  of 
''^^^^^  total  sinfulness  and  helplessness,  and  then,  such  and  such  light  and 
comfort:  they  look  upon  all  such  schemes,  laying  down  such  me- 
thods and  steps  to  be  of  mens  devising:  and  particularly,  if  high 
affections  of  joy  follow  great  distress  and  fprrnr.,  it  is  niade  by  ma- 
nj  an  argument  against  those  affections.  But  such  prejudices  and 
objections  are  without  reason  or  scripture.  Surely  it  cannot  be 
unreasonable  to  suppose,  that  before  God  delivers  persons  from  a 
state  of  sin  and  exposedness  to  eternal  destruction,  he  should  give 
■them  some  considerable  sense,  of  the  evil  he  delivers  from;  that 
they  may  be  delivered  sensibly  and  understand  their  own  salva- 
tion, and  know  something  of  what  God  does  for  them.  JAs  'men 
that  are  saved  are  in  two  exceeding  different  states,  first* a^state 
of  condemnation,  and  then  in  a  state  of  justification  and  blessed- 
ness: and  as  God,  in  the  work  of  the  salvation  of  mankind,  deals 
-  with  them  suitably  to  their  intelligent  rational  nature;  so  it  seems 
reasonable  and  agreeable  to  God's  wisdom,  that  men  who  are 
saved,  should  be  in  these  two  states  sensibly:  first,  that  they 
should,  sensibly  to  themselves,  be  in  a  state  of  condemnation  and 
so  in  a  state  of  woful  calamity  and  dreadful  misery,  and  so  after- 
wards sensibly  in  a  state  of  deliverance  and  happiness;  and  that 
they  should  be  first  sensible  of  their  absolute  extreme  necessity 
and  afterwards  of  Christ's  sufficiency  and  God's  mercy  through 
him. 

And  that  it  is  God's  manner  of  dealing  with  men,  to  "  lead  them 
into  a  wilderness  before  he  speaks  comfortably  to  them,"  and  so 
to  order  it,  that  they  shall  be  brought  into  distress,  and  made  to 
see  their  own  helplessness  and  absolute  dependence  on  his  power 
and  grace,  before  he  appears  to  work  any  great  deliverance  for 
them,  is  abundantly  manifest  by  the  scripture.  Then  is  God 
wont  to  "  repent  himself  for  his  professing  people,  when  their 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  *iS 

strength  is  gone,  and  there  is  none  shut  up  or  left,"  and  when 
they  are  brought  to  see  that  their  false  gods  can  not  help  them, 
and  that  the  rock  in  whom  they  trusted  is  vain,  Deut.  xxxii.  36, 
37.  Before  God  delivered  the  children  of  Israel  out  of  Egypt, 
they  were  prepared  for  it  by  being  made  to  "  see,  that  they  were 
in  an  evil  case,"  and  "to  cry  unto  God,  because  of  their  hard 
bondage."  Exod.  ii.  23.  and  v.  19.  And  before  God  wrought 
that  great  deliverance  for  them  at  the  Red  Sea,  they  were  brought 
into  great  distress,  the  wilderness  had  shut  them  in,  they  could 
not  turn  to  the  right  hand  nor  the  left,  and  the  Red  Sea  was  be- 
fore them,  and  the  great  Egyptian  host  behind,  and  they  were 
brought  to  see,  that  they  could  do  nothing  to  help  themselves,  and 
that  if  God  did  not  help  them  they  would  be  immediately  swal- 
lowed up;  and  then  God  appeared  and  turned  their  cries  into 
songs.  So  before  they  were  brought  to  their  rest,  and  to  enjoy 
the  milk  and  honey  of  Canaan,  God  "  led  them  through  a  great 
and  terrible  wilderness,  that  he  might  humble  them,  and  teach 
them  what  was  in  their  heart,  and  so  do  them  good  in  their  lat- 
ter end,"  Deut.  viii.  2,  16.  The  woman  that  had  the  issue  of 
blood  twelve  years,  was  not  delivered  until  she  had  first  "  spent 
all  her  living  on  earthly  physicians,  and  could  not  be  healed  of 
any,"  and  so  was  left  helpless,  having  no  more  money  to  spend; 
and  then  she  came  to  the  great  physician,  without  any  money 
or  price,  and  was  healed  by  him,  Luke  viii,  43,  44.  Before 
Christ  would  answer  the  request  of  the  woman  of  Canaan,  he 
first  seemed  utterly  to  deny  her,  and  humbled  her,  and  brought 
her  to  own  herself  worthy  to  be  called  a  dog,  and  then  he  show- 
ed her  mercy  and  received  her  as  a  dear  child,  Matth.  xv.  22, 
&c.  The  apostle  Paul,  before  a  remarkable  deliverance,  was 
"  pressed  out  of  measure,  above  strength,  insomuch  as  they  despair- 
ed even  of  life;  and  had  the  sentence  of  death  in  himself,  that  he 
might  not  trust  in  himself,  but  in  God  that  raiseth  the  dead,"  2 
Cor.  i.  8,  9,  10.  There  was  first  a  great  tempest,  and  the  ship 
was  covered  with  the  waves  and  just  ready  to  sink,  and  the  dis- 
ciples were  brought  to  cry  to  Jesus,  "  Lord  save  us,  \ve  perish;" 
and  then  the  winds  and  seas  were  rebuked^  and  there  was  a 


so  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

great  calm,  Matth.  viii.  24,  25,  26.  The  leper,  before  he  is 
cleansed,  must  have  his  mouth  stopped  by  a  covering  on  his  up- 
per lip,  and  was  to  acknowledge  his  great  misery  and  utter  un- 
cleanness,  by  rending  his  clothes  and  crying,  "  Unclean,  unclean," 
Lev.  xiii.  45.  And  backsliding  Israel,  before  God  heals  them, 
are  brought  to  "  acknowledge  that  they  have  sinned  and  have  not 
obeyed  the  voice  of  the  Lord,"  and  to  see  that  "  they  lie  down 
in  their  shame,  and  that  confusion  covers  them,"  and  "  that  in 
vain  is  salvation  hoped  for  from  the  hills,  and  from  the  multitude 
of  mountains,"  and  that  God  only  can  save  them,  Jer.  iii.  23,  24, 
25.  Joseph,  who  was  sold  by  his  brethren,  and  therein  was  a 
type  of  Christ,  brings  his  brethren  into  great  perplexity  and  dis- 
tress, and  brings  them  to  reflect  on  their  sin,  and  to  say.  We 
are  verily  guilty;  and  at  last  resign  themselves  entirely  into  his 
hands  for  bondmen;  and  then  reveals  himself  to  them  as  their 
brother  and  their  saviour. 

And  if  we  consider  those  extraordinary  manifestations,  which 
God  made  of  himself  to  saints  of  old,  we  shall  find  that  he  com- 
monly first  manifested  himself  in  a  way  which  was  terrible,  and 
then  by  those  things  that  were  comfortable.  So  it  was  with  Abra- 
ham; first,  a  horror  of  great  darkness  fell  upon  him,  and  then  God 
revealed  himself  to  him  in  sweet  promises,  Gen.  xv.  12,  13.  So 
it  was  with  Moses  at  Mount  Sinai;  first,  God  appeared  to  him  in 
all  the  terrors  of  his  dreadful  majesty,  so  that  Moses  said  "  I  do 
exceedingly  fear  and  quake,"  and  then  he  made  all  his  goodness 
to  pass  before  him,  and  proclaimed  his  name,  "  The  Lord  God, 
gracious  and  merciful,"  &c.  So  it  was  with  Elijah;  first,  there 
is  a  stormy  wind,  and  earthquake,  and  devouring  fire,  and  then  a 
still,  small,  sweet  voice,  1  Kings,  xix.  So  it  was  with  Daniel; 
he  first  saw  Christ's  countenance  as  lightning,  that  terrified  him 
and  caused  him  to  faint  away;  and  then  he  is  strengthened  and 
refreshed  with  such  comfortable  words  as  these,  "  0  Daniel,  a 
man  greatly  beloved,"  Dan.  x.  So  it  was  with  the  apostle  John, 
Rev.  i.  And  there  is  an  analogy  observable  in  God's  dispensa- 
tions and  deliverances,  Avhich  he  works  for  his  people,  and  the 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  .  81 

manifestations  which  he  makes  of  himself  to  them,  both  ordinary 
and  extraordinary. 

But  there  are  many  things  in  scripture  which  do  more  directly 
show  that  this  is  God's  ordinary  manner  in  working  salvation  for 
the  souls  of  men,  and  in  the  manifestations  God  makes  of  him- 
self and  of  his  mercy  in  Christ,  in  the  ordinary  works  of  his  grace 
on  the  hearts  of  sinners.  The  servant  that  owed  his  prince  ten 
thousand  talents  is  first  held  to  his  debt,  and  the  king  pronounces 
sentence  of  condemnation  upon  him,  and  commands  him  to  be 
sold,  and  his  wife  and  children,  and  payment  to  be  made;  and 
thus  he  humbles  him,  and  brings  him  to  own  the  whole  debt 
to  be  just,  and  then  forgives  him  all.  The  prodigal  sons  spends 
all  he  has,  and  is  brought  to  see  himself  in  extreme  circumstances, 
and  to  humble  himself,  and  to  own  his  unworthiness,  before  he  is 
relieved  and  feasted  by  his  father,  Luke  xv.  Old  inveterate 
wounds  must  be  searched  to  the  bottom,  in  order  to  healing:  and 
the  scripture  compares  sin,  the  wound  of  the  soul,  to  this,  and 
speaks  of  healing  this  wound  without  thus  searching  of  it,  as  vain 
and  deceitful,  Jer.  viii.  1 1 .  Christ,  in  the  work  of  his  grace  on 
the  hearts  of  men,  is  compared  to  rain  on  the  new  mown  grass, 
grass  that  is  cut  down  with  a  scythe,  Psal.  Ixxii.  6.  representing 
his  refreshing,  comforting  influences  on  the  wounded  spirit.  Our 
first  parents,  after  they  had  sinned,  were  first  terrified  with  God's 
majesty  and  justice,  and  had  their  sin,  with  its  aggravations,  set 
before  them  by  their  Judge,  before  they  were  relieved  by  the 
promise  of  the  seed  of  the  woman.  Christians  are  spoken  of 
as  those  "  that  have  fied  for  refuge,  to  lay  hold  on  the  hope 
set  before  them,"  Heb.  vi.  18.  which  representation  implies 
great  fear  and  sense  of  danger  preceding.  To  the  like  purpose 
Christ  is  called  "  a  hiding  place  from  the  wind,  and  a  covert 
from  the  tempest,  and  as  rivers  of  water  in  a  dry  place,  and  as 
the  shadow  of  a  great  rock  in  a  weary  land,"  Isa.  xxxii.  at 
the  beginning.  And  it  seems  to  be  the  natural  import  of  the 
word  gospel^  glad  tidings,  that  is  news  of  deliverance  and  salva- 
tion, after  great  fear  and  distress.  There  is  also  reason  to  sup- 
pose that  God  deals  with  particular  believers  as  he  dealt  with  his 


82  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

church,  which  he  first  made  to  hear  his  voice  in  the  law;  with  ter- 
rible thunders  and  lightnings,  and  kept  her  under  that  school- 
master, to  prepare  her  for  Christ;  and  then  comforted  her  with 
the  joyful  sound  of  the  gospel  from  Mount  Zion.  So  likewise 
John  the  Baptist  came  to  prepare  the  way  for  Christ,  and  pre- 
pare mens  hearts  for  his  reception,  by  showing  them  their  sins, 
and  by  bringing  the  self-righteous  Jews  off  from  their  own  righte- 
ousness, telling  them  that  they  were  "  a  generation  of  vipers," 
and  showing  them  their  danger  of  "  the  wrath  to  come,"  telling 
them  that  "  the  axe  was  laid  at  the  root  of  the  trees,  &c. 

And  if  it  be  indeed  God's  manner  (as  I  think  the  foregoing 
considerations  show  that  it  undoubtedly  is)  before  he  gives  men 
the  comfort  of  a  deliverance  from  their  sin  and  misery,  to  give 
them  a  considerable  sense  of  the  greatness  and  dreadfulness  of 
those  evils  and  their  extreme  wretchedness  by  reason  of  them; 
surely  it  is  not  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  persons,  at  least  often- 
times, while  under  these  views,  should  have  great  distresses  and 
terrible  apprehensions  of  mind:  especially  if  it  be  considered  what 
these  evils  are  that  they  have  a  view  of;  which  are  no  other  than 
great  and  manifold  sins  against  the  infinite  majesty  of  the  great 
Jehovah,  and  the  suffering  of  the  fierceness  of  his  wrath  to  all 
eternity.  And  the  more  so  still,  when  we  have  many  plain  in- 
stances in  scripture,  of  persons  that  have  actually  been  brought 
into  great  distress  by  such  convictions,  before  they  have  received 
saving  consolations:  as  the  multitude  at  Jerusalem,  who  were 
"  pricked  in  their  heart,  and  said  unto  Peter  and  the  rest  of  the 
apostles,  men  and  brethren  what  shall  we  do?"  And  the  apostle 
Paul,  who  trembled  and  was  astonished,  before  he  was  comforted; 
and  the  jailor,  when  "  he  called  for  a  light,  and  sprang  in,  and 
came  trembling,  and  fell  down  before  Paul  and  Silas,  and  said, 
Sirs,  what  must  I  do  to  be  saved?" 

From  these  things,  it  appears  to  be  very  unreasonable  in  pro- 
fessing Christians,  to  make  this  an  objection  against  the  truth  and 
spiritual  nature  of  the  comfortable  and  joyful  affections  which  any 
have,  that  they  follow  such  awful  apprehensions  and  distresses  as 
have  been  mentioned. 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  83 

And,  on  the  other  hand,  it  is  no  evidence  that  comforts  and     ^ 
joys  are  right,  because  they  succeed  great  terrors,  and  amazing 
fears  of  hell.f     This  seems  to  be  what  some  persons  lay  great 
weight  upon;  esteeming  great  terrors  an  evidence  of  the  great  work 
of  the  law  wrought  on  the  heart,  well  preparing  the  way  for  solid       ^ 
comfort:  not  considering  that  terror  and  a  conviction  of  con^    •  \ 
science  are  different  thinsfs.    For  though  convictions  of  conscience       ♦ 


do  often  cause  terror;  yet  they  do  not  consist  in  it;  and  terrors 
do  often  arise  from  other  causes.  Convictions  of  conscience, 
through  the  influences  of  God's  Spirit,  consist  in  conviction  of 
sinfulness  of  heart  and  practice,  and  of  the  dreadfulness  of  sin,  as 
committed  against  a  God  of  terrible  majesty,  infinite  holiness  and 
hatred  of  sin,  and  strict  justice  in  punishing  of  it.  But  there  are 
some  persons  that  have  frightful  apprehensions  of  hell,  a  dreadful 
pit  ready  to  swallow  them  up,  and  flames  just  ready  to  lay  hold 
of  them,  and  devils  around  them  ready  to  seize  them;  who,  at 
the  same  time,  seem  to  have  very  little  proper  enlightening^  of 
conscience,  really  convincing  them  of  their  sinfulness  of  heart 
and  life.  The  devil,  if  permitted,  can  terrify  men  as  well  as  the 
Spirit  of  God,  it  is  a  work  natural  to  him,  and  he  has  many  ways 
of  doing  it,  in  a  manner  tending  to  no  good.  He  may  exceedingly 
affright  persons  by  impressing  on  them  images  and  ideas  of  many  ex- 
ternal things,  of  a  countenance  frowning,  a  sword  drawn,  biack 
clouds  of  vengeance,  words  of  an  awful  doom  pronounced,^:  helj 

f  Mr.  Shepard  speaks  of  "  mens  being  cast  down  as  low  as  hell  by  sor« 
row,  and  lying  under  chains,  quaking  under  apprehension  of  terror  lO  come, 
and  then  raised  up  to  heaven  in  joy,  not  able  to  live;  and  yet  not  rem  from 
lust:  and  such  are  objects  of  pity  now,  and  are  like  to  be  the  objects  of  ter- 
ror at  the  great  day."     Parable  of  the  teii  virgiiis,  P,  i.  p.  125. 

%  "The  way  of  the  Spirit's  working,  when  it  does  convince  men,  is  by 
enlightening  natural  conscience.  The  Spirit  does  not  work  by  giving  a  tes- 
timony, but  by  assisting  natural  conscience  to  do  its  work.  Natural  con- 
science is  the  instrument  in  the  hand  of  God,  to  accuse,  condemn,  terrify, 
and  to  urge  to  duty.  The  Spirit  of  God  leads  men  into  the  consideration  of 
their  danger,  and  makes  them  to  be  aflecied  therewith,  Prov.  xx.  27.  The 
spirit  of  man  is  the  candle  of  the  Lord,  searching  all  the  inward  parts  of  the  belly  T 
Stoddard's  Guine  to  Chiiist,  p.  44. 
h 


84  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

gaping,  devils  coming,  and  the  like,  not  to  convince  persons  of 
things  that  are  true  and  revealed  in  the  word  of  God,  but  to  lead 
them  to  vain  and  groundless  determinations;  as  that  their  day  is 
past,  that  they  are  reprobated,  that  God  is  implacable,  that  he 
has  come  to  a  resolution  immediately  to  cut  them  off,  &:c. 

And  the  terrors,  which  some  persons  have,  are  very  much  ow- 
ing to  the  particular  constitution  and  temper  they  are  of;  Nothing 
is  more  manifest  than  that  some  persons  are  of  such  a  temper  and 
frame,  that  their  imaginations  are  more  strongly  impressed  with 
every  thing  they  are  affected  with  than  others;  and  the  impression 
on  the  imagination  reacts  on  the  affection,  and  raises  that  still 
higher;  and  so  affection  and  imagination  act  reciprocally,  one  on 
another,  till  their  affection  is  raised  to  a  vast  height,  and  the  per- 
son is  swallowed  up  and  loses  all  possession  of  himself.f 

And  some  speak  of  a  great  sight  they  have  had  of  their  wicked- 
ness, who  really,  when  the  matter  comes  to  be  well  examined  in- 
to and  thoroughly  weighed,  are  found  to  have  little  or  no  convic- 
tions of  conscience.  They  tell  of  a  dreadful  hard  heart,  and  how 
their  heart  lies  like  a  stone;  when  truly  they  have  none  of  those 
things  in  their  minds  or  thoughts,  wherein  the  hardness  of  mens 
hearts  does  really  consist.  They  tell  of  a  dreadful  load  and  sink 
of  sin,  a  heap  of  black  and  loathsome  filthiness  within  them;  when, 
if  the  matter  be  carefully  inquired  into,  tliey  have  not  in  view  any 
thing  wherein  the  corruption  of  nature  does  truly  consist,  nor  have 
they  any  thought  of  any  particular  thing  wherein  their  hearts  are 
sinfully  defective,  or  fall  short  of  what  ought  to  be  in  them,  or 
any  exercises  at  all  of  corruption  in  them.  And  many  think  also 
they  have  great  convictions  of  their  actual  sins,  who  truly  have 
none.  They  tell  how  their  sins  are  set  in  order  before  them,  they 
see  them  stand  encompassing  them  round  in  a  row,  with  a  dread- 
ful frightful  appearance;  when  really  they  have  not  so  much  as 

■j-The  famous  Mr.  Perkins  distinguishes  between  "those  sorrows  that 
come  through  convictions  of  conscience,  and  melancholic  passions  arising 
from  mere  imaginations,  strone'v  conceived  in  the  brain;  which,  he  says, 
usually  come  on  a  sudden,  like  lightning  into  a  house."  Vol.  1.  of  his  works, 
page  385. 


TO  DISTINGUISH   AFFECTIONS.  85 

«ne  of  the  sins  they  have  been  guilty  of  in  the  course  of  their  lives, 
coming  into  view,  that  they  are  affected  with  the  aggravations  of. 

And  if  persons  have  had  great  terrors,  which  really  have  been 
fi'om  the  awakening  and  convincing  influences  of  the  Spirit  of 
God,  it  doth  not  thence  follow  that  their  terrors  must  needs  issue 
in  true  comfort.  The  unmortified  corruption  of  the  heart  may 
quench  the  Spirit  of  God;  (after  he  has  been  striving)  by  leading 
men  to  presumptuous  and  self-exalting  hopes  and  joys,  as  well  as 
otherwise.  It  is  not  every  woman  that  is  really  in  travail  that 
brings  forth  a  real  child;  but  it  may  be  a  monstrous  production, 
without  any  thing  of  the  form  or  properties  of  human  nature  be- 
longing to  it,  Pharaoh's  chief  baker,  after  he  had  lain  in  the 
dungeon  with  Joseph,  had  a  vision  that  raised  his  hopes,  and  he 
was  lifted  up  out  of  the  dungeon,  as  well  as  the  chief  butler;  but 
it  was  to  be  hanged. 

But,  if  comforts  and  joys  do  not  only  come  after  great  terrors 
and  awakenings,  but  there  be  an  appearance  of  such  preparatory 
convictions  and  humiliations,  and  brought  about  very  distinctly, 
by  such  steps  and  in  such  a  method  as  has  frequently  been  obser- 
vable in  true  converts;  this  is  no  certain  sign  that  the  light  and 
comforts  which  follow  are  true  and  saving.  And  for  these  follow- 
ing reasons: 

Firsts  As  the  devil  can  counterfeit  all  the  saving  operations 
and  graces  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  so  he  can  counterfeit  those  ope- 
rations that  are  preparatory  to  grace  If  Satan  can  counterfeit 
those  effects  of  God's  Spirit  which  are  special,  divine  and  sancti- 
fying, so  that  there  shall  be  a  very  great  resemblance  in  all  that 
can  be  observed  by  others,  much  more  easily  may  he  imitate  those 
works  of  God's  Spirit  which  are  common,  and  which  men,  while 
they  are  yet  his  own  children,  are  the  subjects  of.  These  works 
are  in  no  wise  so  much  above  him  as  the  other.  There  are  no 
works  of  God  that  are  so  high  and  divine  and  above  the  powers 
of  nature,  and  out  of  the  reach  of  the  power  of  all  creatures,  as 
those  works  of  his  Spirit  whereby  he  forms  the  creature  in  his  own 
image,  and  makes  it  to  be  a  partaker  of  the  divine  nature.  But 
if  the  devil  can  be  the  author  of  such  resemblances  as  these,  as 


86  WHAT  ARE  ISO  S,l(iN» 

have  been  spoken  of,  without  doubt  he  may  of  those  that  are  of  an 
infinitely  inferior  kind.  And  it  is  abundantly  evident,  in  fact, 
that  there  are  false  humiliations,  and  false  submissions,  as  well 
as  false  comforts. t  How  far  was  Saul  brought,  though  a  very 
wicked  man,  and  of  a  haughty  spirit,  when  he  (though  a  great 
king)  was  brought,  in  conviction  of  his  sin,  as  it  were  to  fall  down 
all  in  tears,  weeping  aloud,  before  David  his  own  subject,  and 
one  that  he  had  for  a  long  time  mortally  hated,  and  openly  treat- 
ed as  an  enemy,)  and  condemned  himself  before  him,  crying  out, 
"  Thou  art  more  righteous  than  I:  for  thou  hast  rewarded  me 
good,  whereas  I  have  rewarded  thee  evil."  And  at  another  time, 
"  I  have  sinned,  I  have  played  the  fool,  I  have  erred  exceeding- 
ly," 1  Sam.  xxiv,  16,  17.  and  chap.  xxvi.  21.  And  yet  Saul  seems 
then  to  have  had  very  little  of  the  influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God, 
it  being  after  God's  Spirit  had  departed  from  him,  and  given  him 
up,  and  an  evil  spirit  from  the  Lord  troubled  him.  And  if  this 
proud  monarch,  in  a  pang  of  affection,  was  brought  to  humble 
himself  so  low  before  a  subject  he  had  hated,  and  still  continued 
an  enemy  to,  there  doubtless  may  be  appearances  of  great  convic- 
tion and  humiliation  in  men,  before  God,  while  they  yet  remain 
enemies  to  him,  and  though  they  finally  continue  so.  There  is  of- 
tentimes in  men  who  are  terrified  through  fears  of  hell,  a  great 
appearance  of  their  being  brought  off  from  their  own  righteousness, 
when  they  are  brought  off  from  it  in  all  ways,  although  there  are 
in  many  ways  that  are  more  plain  and  visible.  They  have  only 
exchanged  some  ways  of  trusting  in  their  own  righteousness  for 
others  that  are  more  secret  and  subtle.  Oftentimes  a  great  de- 
gree of  discouragement,  as  to  many  things  they  used  to  depend 
upon,  is  taken  for  humiliation:  and  that  is  called  a  submission  to 

f  The  venerable  Stoddard  observes,  "  A  man  may  say  that  now  he  can  jus- 
tify God,  however  he  deals  with  him,  and  not  be  brought  off  from  his  own 
fighteousness;  and  that  some  men  do  justify  God,  from  a  partial  conviction 
of  the  rigliteousness  of  their  condemnation;  conscience  takes  notice  of  their 
sinfiihiess,  and  tells  them  that  they  may  be  righteously  damned;  as  Pharaoh, 
who  justified  God,  Exod.  ix.  27.  And  they  give  some  kind  of  consent  to  it, 
but  many  times  it  does  not  continue,  they  have  only  a  pang  upon  them,  that 
usually  dies  away  after  a  little  time."  Guide  to  Christ,  page  82. 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  87 

God,  which  is  no  absolute  submission,  but  has  some  secret  bargain 
in  it  that  it  is  hard  to  discover. 

Secondly.  If  the  operations  and  effects  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  in 
the  convictions  and  comforts  of  true  converts,  may  be  sophisti- 
cated, then  the  order  of  them  may  be  imitated.  If  Satan  can 
imitate  the  things  themselves,  he  may  easily  put  them  one  after 
another,  in  such  a  certain  order.  If  the  devil  can  make  A,  B  and 
C,  it  is  as  easy  for  him  to  put  A  first,  and  B  next,  and  C  next,  as 
to  range  them  in  a  contrary  order.  The  nature  of  divine  things  is 
harder  for  the  devil  to  imitate  than  their  order.  He  can  not  ex- 
actly imitate  divine  operations  in  their  nature,  though  his  coun- 
terfeits may  be  very  much  like  them  in  external  appearance;  but 
he  can  exactly  imitate  their  order.  When  counterfeits  are  made, 
there  is  no  divine  power  needful,  in  order  to  the  placing  one  of 
them  first,  and  another  last.  And  therefore  no  order  or  method 
of  operations  and  experiences  is  any  certain  sign  of  their  di- 
vinity. That  only  is  to  be  trusted  to,  as  a  certain  evidence  of 
grace,  which  Satan  can  not  do,  and  which  it  is  impossible  should 
be  brought  to  pass  by  any  power  short  of  divine. 

Thirdly.  We  have  no  certain  rule  to  determine  how  far  God's 
own  Spirit  may  go  in  those  operations  and  convictions,  which  in 
themselves  are  not  spiritual  and  saving,  and  yet  the  person  that  *>(, 
is  the  subject  of  them  never  be  converted,  but  fall  short  of  salva- 
tion at  last.  There  is  no  necessary  connexion  in  the  nature  ol' 
things,  between  any  thing  that  a  natural  man  may  experience, 
while  in  a  state  of  nature  and  the  saving  grace  of  God's  Spirit. 
And  if  there  be  no  connexion  in  the  nature  of  things,  then  there 
can  be  no  known  and  certain  connexion  at  all,  unless  it  be  by  di- 
vine revelation.  But  here  is  no  revealed  certain  connexion  be- 
tween a  state  of  salvation,  and  any  thing  that  a  natural  man  can 
be  the  subject  of,  before  he  believes  in  Christ.)  God  has  revealed 
no  certain  connexion  between  salvation  and  any  qualifications  in 
men,  but  only  grace  and  its  fruits.  And  therefore  we  do  not  find 
any  legal  convictions  or  comforts  following  these  legal  convic- 
tions, in  any  certain  method  or  order,  ever  once  mentioned  in  the 
scripture,  as  certain  signs  of  grace,  or  things  peculiar  to  the  saints; 


88  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

although  we  do  find  gracious  operations  and  effects  themselves,  so 
mentioned,  thousands  of  times;  which  should  be  enough  with 
Christians,  who  are  willing  to  have  the  ^vord  of  God,  rather  than 
their  own  philosophy,  and  experiences,  and  conjectures,  as  their 
sufficient  and  sure  guide  in  things  of  this  nature. 

Fourthly,  Experience  does  greatly  confirm,  that  persons  seem- 
ing to  have  convictions  and  comforts  following  one  another  in 
such  method  and  order,  as  is  frequently  observable  in  true  con- 
verts, is  no  certain  sign  of  grace. f  I  appeal  to  all  those  minis- 
tei-s  in  this  land,  who  have  had  much  occasion  of  dealing  with 
souls,  in  the  late  extraordinary  season,  whether  there  have  not  been 
many  who  do  not  prove  well  that  have  given  a  fair  account  of 
their  experiences,  and  have  seemed  to  be  converted  according  to 
rule,  i.  e.  with  convictions  and  affections,  succeeding  distinctly 
and  exactly  in  tliat  order  and  method  which  has  been  ordinarily 
insisted  on,  as  the  order  of  the  operations  of  the  Spirit  of  God  in 
conversion. 

And  as  a  seeming  to  have  this  distinctness  as  to  steps  and  me- 
thod, is  no  certain  sign  that  a  person  is  converted;  so  being 
without  it  is  no  evidence  that  a  person  is  not  converted.  For 
though  it  might  be  made  evident  to  a  demonstration,  on  scripture- 
principles,  that  a  sinner  cannot  be  brought  heartily  to  receive 
Christ  as  his  Saviour,  who  is  not  convinced  of  his  sin  and  misery, 
and  his  own  emptiness  and  helplessness,  and  his  just  desert  of 
eternal  condemnation;  and  that  therefore  such  convictions  must 
be  some  way  implied  in  what  is  wrought  in  his  soul;  yet  nothing 
proves  it  to  be  necessary,  that  all  those  things  which  are  im- 
plied or  presupposed,  in  an  act  of  faith  in  Christ,  must  be  plainly 
and  distinctly  wrought  in  the  soul,  in  so  many  successive  and  se- 
parate works  of  the  Spirit,  that  shall  be  each  one  plain  and  ma- 

f  Mr.  Stoddard,  who  had  much  experience  of  things  of  this  nature,  long 
ago  observed,  that  converted  and  unconverted  men  can  not  be  certainly  dis- 
tinguished by  the  account  they  give  of  their  experience:  the  same  relation 
of  experiences  being  common  to  both.  And  that  many  persons  have  given 
a  fair  account  of  a  work  of  conversion,  that  have  carried  well  in  the  eye  of 
the  world  for  several  years,  but  have  not  proved  well  at  last.  Appeal  to  the 
Learned,  p.  75, 76. 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  89 

nifest,  in  all  who  are  truly  converted.  On  the  contrary,  (as  Mr. 
Shepard  observes),  sometimes  the  change  made  in  a  saint,  at 
first  work,  is  like  a  confused  chaos;  so  that  the  saints  know  not 
what  to  make  of  it.  The  manner  of  the  Spirit's  proceeding  in 
them  that  are  born  of  the  Spirit,  is  very  often  exceeding  mys- 
terious and  unsearchable:  we,  as  it  were,  hear  the  sound  of  it, 
the  effect  of  it  is  discernible;  but  no  man  can  tell  whence  it 
came,  or  whither  it  went.  And  it  is  oftentimes  as  difficult 
to  know  the  way  of  the  Spirit  in  the  new  birth,  as  in  the  first 
birth:  Ecc.  xi.  5.  "  Thou  knowest  not  what  is  the  way  of  the 
Spirit,  or  how  the  bones  do  grow  in  the  womb  of  her  that  is  with 
child:  even  so  thou  knowest  not  the  works  of  God,  that  worketh 
all."  The  ingenerating  of  a  principle  of  grace  in  the  soul,  seems 
in  scripture  to  be  compared  to  the  conceiving  of  Christ  in  the 
womb.  Gal.  iv.  1 9.  And  therefore  the  church  is  called  Christ's 
mother,  Cant.  iii.  1 1 .  and  so  is  everv'  particular  believer,  Matth. 
,'  ^  )  xii.  49,  50.  And  the  conception  of  Christ,  in  the  soul  of  a  be- 
V  *  liever,  by  the  power  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  seems  to  be  a  designed 
resemblance  of  the  conception  of  Christ  in  the  womb  of  the  blessed 
virgin,  by  the  power  of  the  same  Holy  Ghost.  And  w^e  know 
not  what  is  the  way  of  the  Spirit,  nor  how  the  bones  do  grow, 
either  in  the  womb,  or  heart  that  conceives  this  holy  child.  The 
new  creature  may  use  that  language  in  Psal.  cxxxix.  14,15.  "I 
am  fearfully  and  wonderfully  made;  marvellous  are  thy  works,  and 
that  my  soul  knoweth  right  well.  My  substance  was  not  hid 
from  thee  when  I  was  made  in  secret."  Concerning  the  gene- 
ration of  Christ,  both  in  his  person  and  also  in  the  hearts  of  liis 
people,  it  may  be  said,  as  in  Isa.  Iii.  8.  "  Who  can  declare  his 
generation?"  We  know  not  the  works  of  GJod,  that  workeih 
all.  "  It  is  the  glory  of  God  to  conceal  a  thing,"  (Prov. 
XXV.  2.)  and  to  have  his  path  as  it  were  in  the  mighty  waters, 
that  his  footsteps  may  not  be  known:"  and  especially  in  the 
works  of  the  Spirit  on  the  hearts  of  men,  which  are  the  higliest 
and  chief  of  his  works.  And  therefore  it  is  said,  Isa.  xl.  13. 
"  Who  hath  directed  the  Spirit  of  the  liOrd,  or  being  his 
counsellor  hath  taught  him?"  .  It  is  to  be  feared  that  some 


90  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

have  gone  too  far  towards  directing  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord,  and 
f  marking  out  his  footsteps  for  him,  and  limiting  him  to  certain 
steps  and  methods.  Experience  plainly  shows,  that  God's  Spirit 
is  unsearchable  and  untraceable,  in  some  of  the  best  of  Chris- 
tians, in  the  method  of  his  operations,  in  their  conversion.  Nor 
does  the  Spirit  of  God  proceed  discerniblj  in  the  steps  of  a  par- 
ticular established  scheme,  one  half  so  often  as  is  imagined.  A 
/scheme  of  what  is  necessary,  and  according  to  a  rule  already  re- 
ceived and  established  by  common  opinion,  has  a  vast  (though  to 
I  many  a  very  insensible)  influence  in  forming  persons'  notions  of 
the  steps  and  method  of  their  own  experiences.  I  know  very 
well  what  their  way  is;  for  I  have  had  much  opportunity  to  ob- 
)  serve  it.  .  Very  often,  at  first,  their  experiences  appear  like  a  con- 
♦  fused  chaos.  Mr.  Shepard  expresses  it:  but  then  those  passages 
of  their  experience  are  picked  out,  that  have  most  of  the  appear- 
ance of  such  particular  steps  that  are  insisted  on;  and  these  are 
dwelt  upon  in  the  thoughts,  and  these  are  told  of  from  time  to 
time,  in  the  relation  they  give:  these  parts  grow  brighter  and 
brighter  in  their  view;  and  others,  being  neglected,  grow  more 
and  more  obscure:  and  what  they  have  experienced  is  insensibly 
strained  to  bring  all  to  an  exact  conformity  to  the  scheme  that  is 
established.  And  it  becomes  natural  for  ministers,  who  have  to 
deal  with  them,  and  direct  them  that  insist  upon  distinctness  and 
clearness  of  method,  to  do  so  too.  But  yet  there  has  been  so  much 
to  be  seen  of  the  operations  of  the  Spirit  of  God  of  late,  that  they 
who  have  had  much  to  do  with  souls,  and  are  not  blinded  with  a 
seven-fold  veil  of  prejudice,  must  know  that  the  Spirit  is  so  ex- 
ceeding various  in  the  manner  of  his  operating,  that  in  many 
cases,  it  is  impossible  to  trace  him,  or  find  out  his  way. 

What  we  have  principally  to  do  with  in  our  inquiries  into  our 
own  state,  or  directions  we  give  to  others,  is  the  nature  of  the  ef- 
fect that  God  has  brought  to  pass  in  the  soul.  As  to  the  steps 
which  the  Spirit  of  God  took  to  bring  that  effect  to  pass,  we  may 
leave  them  to  him.  We  are  often,  in  scripture,  expressly  directed 
to  try  ourselves  by  the  nature  of  the  fruits  of  the  Spirit;  but  no 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  91 

where  by  the  Spirit's  method  of  producing  them.f  Many  do 
greatly  err  in  their  notions  of  a  clear  work  of  conversion;  calling 
that  a  clear  work,  where  the  successive  steps  of  influence,  and 
method  of  experience  are  clear;  whereas  that  indeed  is  the  clear- 
est work,  not  where  the  order  of  doing  is  clearest,  but  where  the 
spiritual  and  divine  nature  of  the  work  done,  and  effect  wrought^ 
is  most  clear. 

IX.  It  is  no  certain  sign,  that  the  religious  affections  which 
persons  have,  are  such  as  have  in  them  the  nature  of  true  reli- 
gion, or  that  they  have  not,  that  they  dispose  persons  to  spend 
much  time  in  religion,  and  to  be  zealously  engaged  in  the  exter- 
nal duties  of  worship. 

This  has,  very  unreasonably  of  late,  been  looked  upon  as  an 
argument  against  the  religious  affections  which  some  have  had, 
that  they  spend  so  much  time  in  reading,  praying,  singing,  hear- 
ing sermons  and  the  like.  It  is  plain  from  the  scripture,  that  it 
is  the  tendency  of  true  grace  to  cause  persons  to  delight  in  such 
religious  exercises.  True  grace  had  this  effect  on  Anna  the  pro- 
phetess; Luke  ii.  37,  "  She  departed  not  from  the  temple,  but 
served  God  with  fastings  and  prayers  night  and  day."  And  grace 
had  this  effect  upon  the  primitive  Christians  in  Jerusalem,  Acts  ii. 
46,  47.  "  And  they  continuing  daily  with  one  accord  in  the  tem- 
ple,  and  breaking  bread  from  house  to  house,  did  eat  their  meat 

•J-  Mr.  Shepard,  speaking  of  the  soul's  closing- with  Christ,  says,  "As  a 
chilli  can  not  tell  how  his  soul  comes  into  it,  nor  it  may  be  when;  but  after- 
wards it  sees  and  feels  that  life;  so  that  he  were  as  b;id  as  a  beast,  that 
should  deny  an  immortal  soul;  so  here."  Parabl^  of  the  ten  Vir^ns.  Part  If. 
p.  171. 

"If  the  man  do  not  know  the  time  of  his  conversion,  or  fi;-st  closing  with 
Christ;  the  minister  may  not  draw  any  peremptory  conclusion  from  thence, 
that  he  is  not  godly."     Stoddard's  Guide  to  Christ,  p.  83. 

"Do  not  think  there  is  no  compunction,  or  sense  of  sin,  wrought  in  the 
60ul,  becau-se  you  can  not  so  clearly  discern  and  feel  it;  nor  the  time  of  the 
working  and  first  beginning  of  it.  I  have  known  many  that  huve  come  with 
their  complaints  that  they  ivei'e  never  humbled,  they  never  felt  It  so;  )  et  there  it  | 
hath  been,  and  many  times  they  have  seen  it,  by  the  other  spectacles,  and 
blessed  God  for  it."  Shepard's  Sound  Believer,  page  3Q,  The  late  impres- 
sion in  lioslon. 

M 


92  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

with  gladness  and  singleness  of  heart,  praising  God."  Grace 
made  Daniel  delight  in  the  duty  of  prayer,  and  solemnly  to  attend 
it  three  times  a  day:  as  it  also  did  David,  Psal.  Iv,  17.  "  Eve- 
ning,^ morning  and  at  noon  will  I  pray."  Grace  makes  the  saints 
delight  in  singing  praises  to  God:  Psal.  cxxxv.  3.  "  Sing  praises 
unto  his  name,  for  it  is  pleasant."  And  cxlvii.  1.  "Praise  ye 
the  Lord:  for  it  is  good  to  sing  praises  unto  our  God;  for  it  is 
pleasant,  and  praise  is  comely."  It  also  causes  them  to  delight 
to  hear  the  word  preached:  it  makes  the  gospel  a  joyful  sound  to 
them,  Psal.  Ixxxix.  15.  and  makes  the  feet  of  those  who  publish 
these  good  tidings  to  be  beautiful;  Isa.  lii.  7,  "  How  beautiful  upon 
the  mountains,  are  the  feet  of  him  that  bringeth  good  tidings !"  &c. 
It  makes  them  love  God's  public  worship;  Psal.  xxvi.  8.  "  Lord, 
I  have  loved  the  habitation  of  thy  house,  and  the  place  where 
thine  honour  dwelleth."  And  xxvii.  4.  "  One  thing  have  1  de- 
sired of  the  Lord,  that  will  I  seek  after,  that  I  may  dwell  in 
the  house  of  the  Lord  all  the  days  of  my  life,  to  behold  the  beau- 
ty of  the  Lord,  and  to  inquire  in  his  temple."  Psal.  Ixxxiv.  1,2, 
&c.  "  How  amiable  are  thy  tabernacles,  0  Lord  of  hosts !  my 
soul  longeth,  yea,  even  fainteth  for  the  courts  of  the  Lord.  Yea, 
the  sparrow  hath  found  a  house,  and  the  swallow  a  nest  for  her- 
self, where  she  may  lay  her  young,  even  thine  altars,  0  Lord  of 
hosts,  my  King,  and  my  God.  Blessed  are  they  that  dwell  in  thy 
house:  they  wall  be  still  praising  thee.  Blessed  is  the  man,  in 
whose  heart  aro  the  ways  of  them,  who,  passing  through  the  valley 
of  Baca,  go  from  strength  to  strength,  every  one  of  them  in  Zion 
appeareth  before  God."  Ver.  10.  "  A  day  in  thy  courts  is  better 
than  a  thousand." 

This  is  the  nature  of  true  grace.  But  yet,  on  the  other  hand, 
persons  being  disposed  to  abound  and  to  be  zealously  engaged  in 
the  external  exercises  of  religion,  and  to  spend  much  time  in  them, 
is  no  sure  evidence  of  grace;  because  such  a  disposition  is  found 
in  many  that  have  no  grace.  So  it  was  with  the  Israelites  of  old, 
whose  services  were  abominable  to  God:  they  attended  "  the  new 
moons  and  sabbaths,  and  calling  of  assemblies,  and  spread  forth 
their  hands  and  made  many  prayers,"  Isa.  i.  12 — 15.  So  it  was 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  93 

with  the  pliarisces;  they  "  made  long  prayers,  and  fasted  twice  a 
week."  False  religion  may  cause  persons  to  be  loud  and  earnest 
in  prayer:  Isa.  Iviii.  4.  "  Ye  shall  not  fast  as  ye  do  this  day,  to 
cause  your  voice  to  be  heard  on  high."  That  religion,  which  is 
not  spiritual  and  saving,  may  cause  men  to  delight  in  religious 
duties  and  ordinances:  Isa.  Iviii.  2.  "Yet  they  seek  me  daily, 
and  delight  to  know  my  ways,  as  a  nation  that  did  righteousness, 
and  forsook  not  the  ordinance  of  their  God:  they  ask  of  me  the 
ordinances  of  justice:  they  take  delight  in  approaching  to  God." 
It  may  cause  them  to  take  delight  in  hearing  the  w^ord  of  God 
preached;  as  it  was  with  Ezekiel's  hearers,  Ezek.  xxxiii.  31,33. 
"  And  they  come  unto  thee  as  the  people  cometh,  and  they  sit 
before  thee  as  my  people,  and  they  hear  thy  words,  but  they  will 
not  do  them:  for  with  their  mouth  they  show  much  love,  but  their 
heart  goeth  after  their  covetousness.  And  lo,  thou  art  unto  them 
as  a  very  lovely  song  of  one  that  hath  a  pleasant  voice,  and  can 
play  well  on  an  instrument:  for  they  hear  thy  words,  but  they  do 
them  not."  So  it  was  with  Herod;  he  heard  John  the  Baptist 
gladly,  Mark  vi.  20.  So  it  was  with  others  of  his  hearers,  for 
a  "  season  they  rejoiced  in  his  light,"  John  v.  35.  So  the  stony 
ground  hearers  heard  the  word  with  joy. 

Experience  shows  that  persons,  from  false  religion,  may  be  in- 
clined to  be  exceeding  abundant  in  the  external  exercises  of  re- 
ligion; yea  to  give  themselves  up  to  them,  and  devote  almost 
their  whole  time  to  them.  Formerly  a  sort  of  people  were  very 
numerous  in  the  Romish  church,  called  recluses^  who  forsook  the 
world,  and  utterly  abandoned  the  society  of  mankind,  and  shut 
themselves  up  close  in  a  narrow  cell,  with  a  vow  never  to  stir 
out  of  it,  nor  to  see  the  face  of  any  of  mankind  any  more;  (un- 
less that  they  might  be  visited  in  case  of  sickness,)  to  spend  all 
their  days  in  the  exercises  of  devotion  and  converse  with  God. 
There  were  also  in  old  time,  great  multitudes  called  hermits  and 
anchorites,  that  left  the  world  to  spend  all  their  days  in  lonesome 
deserts,  to  give  themselves  up  to  religious  contemplations  and  ex- 
ercises of  devotion;  some  sorts  of  them  having  no  dwellings  but 
the  caves  and  vaults  of  tlie  mountains,  and  no  food  but  the  spon- 


194  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

taneoiis  productions  of  the  earth.  I  once  lived,  for  many  months, 
next  door  to  a  Jew,  (the  houses  adjoining  one  to  another),  and 
had  much  opportunity  daily  to  observe  him;  who  appeared  to  me 
the  devoutest  person  that  ever  I  saw  in  my  life;  great  part  of  his 
time  being  spent  in  acts  of  devotion,  at  his  eastern  window,  which 
opened  next  to  mine,  seeming  to  be  most  earnestly  engaged,  not 
only  in  the  day-time,  but  sometimes  whole  nights. 

X.  Nothing  can  be  certainly  known  of  the  nature  of  religious 
affections  by  this,  that  they  much  dispose  persons  with  their  mouths 
to  praise  and  glorify  God.  This  indeed  is  implied,  in  what  has 
been  just  now  observed,  of  abounding  and  spending  much  time, 
in  the  external  exercises  of  religion,  and  was  also  hinted  before; 
but,  because  many  seem  to  look  upon  it  as  a  bright  evidence  of 
gracious  affection,  when  persons  appear  greatly  disposed  to  praise 
and  magnify  God,  to  have  their  mouths  full  of  his  praises,  and 
affectionately  to  be  calling  on  others  to  praise  and  extol  him,  I 
thought  it  deserved  a  more  particular  consideration. 

No  Christian  will  make  it  an  argument  against  a  person,  that 
he  seems  to  have  such  a  disposition.  Nor  can  it  reasonably  be 
looked  upon  as  an  evidence  for  a  person,  if  those  things  that  have 
been  already  observed  and  proved,  be  duly  considered,  viz.  that 
persons  without  grace  may  have  high  affections  towards  God  and 
Christ,  and  that  their  affections  being  strong,  may  fill  their  mouths, 
and  incline  them  to  speak  much,  and  very  earnestly  about  the 
things  they  are  affected  with,  and  that  there  may  be  counterfeits 
of  all  kinds  of  gracious  affections.  But  it  will  appear  more  evi- 
dently and  directly  that  this  is  no  certain  sign  of  grace,  if  we 
consider  what  instance  the  scriptures  gives  us  of  it  in  those  that 
were  graceless.  We  often  have  an  account  of  this  in  the  mul- 
titude that  were  present,  when  Christ  preached  and  wrought  mi- 
racles; Mark  ii.  13.  "  And  immediately  he  arose,  took  up  his 
bed,  and  went  forth  before  them  all,  insomuch  that  they  were  all 
amazed,  and  glorified  God,  saying.  We  never  saw  it  on  this 
fashion."  So  Matth.  ix.  8,  and  Luke  v.  16.  Also,  Matth.  xv. 
31.  "Insomuch  that  the  multitude  wondered,  when  they  saw 
the  dumb  to  speak,  the  maimed  to  be  whole,  the  lame  to  walk, 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  95 

and  the  blind  to  see:  and  they  glorified  the  God  of  Israel."  So 
we  are  told,  that  on  occasion  of  Christ's  raising  the  son  of  the 
widow  of  Nain,  Luke  viii.  16.  "  There  came  a  fear  on  all:  and 
they  glorified  God,  saying,  That  a  great  prophet  is  risen  up  among 
us;  and.  That  God  hath  visited  his  people."  So  we  read  of  Iheir 
glorifying  Christ,  or  speaking  exceeding  highly  of  him,  Luke  iv. 
15.  "  And  he  taught  in  their  synagogues,  being  glorified  of  all." 
And  how  did  they  praise  him  with  loud  voices,  crying,  "  Hosan- 
na  to  the  Son  of  David;  Hosanna  in  the  highest;  blessed  is  he 
that  Cometh  in  the  name  of  the  Lord,"  a  little  before  he  was 
crucified!  And,  after  Christ's  ascension,  when  the  apostles  had 
healed  the  impotent  man,  we  are  told,  that  "  all  men  glorified 
God,  for  that  which  was  done,"  Acts  iv.  21.  When  the  Gen- 
tiles in  Antioch  of  Pisidia,  heard  from  Paul  and  Barnabas,  that 
God  would  reject  the  Jews,  and  take  the  Gentiles  to  be  his  peo- 
ple in  their  room,  they  were  affected  with  the  goodness  of  God  to 
the  Gentiles,  "  and  glorified  the  word  of  the  Lord:"  but  all  that 
did  so  were  not  true  believers;  but  only  a  certain  elect  number  of 
them;  as  is  intimated  in  the  account  we  have  of  it,  Acts  xiii.  48, 
"  And,  when  the  Gentiles  heard  this,  they  were  glad,  and  glori- 
fied the  word  of  the  Lord:  and  as  many  as  were  ordained  to  eter- 
nal life,  believed."  So  of  old  the  children  of  Israel  at  the  Red 
Sea,  "  sang  God's  praise:  but  soon  forgot  his  works."  And  the 
Jews  in  Ezekiel's  time,  "  with  their  mouth  showed  much  love, 
while  their  heart  went  after  their  covetousness."  And  it  is  fore- 
told of  false  professors,  and  real  enemies  of  religion,  that  they 
should  show  a  forwardness  to  glorify  God;  Isa.  Ixvi.  5,  "  Hear 
the  word  of  the  Lord,  ye  that  tremble  at  his  word.  Your  brethren 
that  hated  you,  that  cast  you  out  for  my  name's  sake,  said.  Let 
the  Lord  be  glorified." 

It  is  no  certain  sign  that  a  person  is  graciously  affected,  if,  in 
the  midst  of  his  hopes  and  comforts,  he  is  greatly  affected  with 
God's  unmerited  mercy  to  him  that  is  so  unworthy,  and  seems 
greatly  to  extol  and  magnify  free  grace.  Those  that  yet  remain 
with  unmortified  pride  and  enmity  against  God,  may,  when  they 
imagine  that  they  have  received  extraordinary  kindness  from 


96  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

God,  ciy  out  of  their  umvorthiness,  and  magnify  God's  uhdc- 
served  goodness  to  them,  from  no  other  conviction  of  their  ill- 
deservings,  and  from  no  higher  principle  than  Saul  had,  who, 
while  he  yet  remained  with  unsubdued  pride  and  enmity  against 
David,  was  brought,  though  a  king,  to  acknowledge  his  unworthi- 
ness,  and  cry  out,  "  I  have  played  the  fool,  I  have  erred  exceed- 
ingly," and  with  great  affection  and  admiration,  to  magnify  and 
extol  David's  unmerited  and  unexampled  kindness  to  him,  1  Sam. 
XXV.  16 — 19.  and  xxiv.  21,  and  from  no  higher  principle  than 
that  from  whence  Nebuchadnezzar  was  affected  with  God's  dis- 
pensations, that  he  saw  and  was  the  subject  of,  and  praises,  ex- 
tols and  honours  the  King  of  Heaven;  and  both  he  and  Darius, 
in  their  high  affections,  call  upon  all  nations  to  praise  God,  Dan. 
iii.  28,  29, 30,  and  iv.  1,  2,  3,  34,  35,  37,  and  vi.  25,  26,  27. 

XI.  It  is  no  sign  that  affections  are  right  or  that  they  are 
wrong,  that  thdy  make  persons  that  have  them  exceeding  confi- 
dent that  what  they  experience  is  divine,  and  that  they  are  in  a 
good  estate. 

It  is  an  argument  with  some,  against  persons,  that  they  are  de- 
luded if  they  pretend  to  be  assured  of  their  good  estate,  and  to 
be  carried  beyond  all  doubting  of  the  favour  of  God;  supposing 
that  there  is  no  such  thing  to  be  expected  in  the  church  of  God, 
as  a  full  and  absolute  assurance  of  hope;  unless  it  be  in  some 
very  extraordinary  circumstances;  as  in  the  case  of  martyrdom: 
contrary  to  the  doctrine  of  Protestants,  which  has  been  maintain- 
ed by  their  most  celebrated  writers  against  the  Papists,  and  con- 
trarv  to  the  plainest  scripture  evidence.  It  is  manifest,  that  it 
was  a  common  thing  for  the  saints,  that  we  have  a  history  or 
particular  account  of  in  scripture,  to  be  assured.  God,  in  the 
plainest  and  most  positive  manner,  revealed  and  testified  his  spe- 
cial favour  to  Noah,  Abraham,  Isaac,  Jacob,  Moses,  Daniel  and 
others.  Job  often  speaks  of  his  sincerity  and  uprightness,  with 
the  greatest  imaginable  confidence  and  assurance,  often  calling 
God  to  witness  to  it;  and  says  plainly,  "  I  know  that  my  Redeem- 
er liveth,  and  that  I  shall  see  him  for  myself,  and  not  another," 
Job  xix.  25,  &c.  David,  throughout  the  book  of  Psalms,  almost 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  91 

every  where  speaks  without  any  hesitancy,  and  in  the  most  posi- 
tive manner,  of  God  as  his  God:  glorifying  in  him  as  his  portion 
and  heritage,  his  rock  and  confidence,  his  shield,  salvation,  and 
high  tower,  and  the  like.  Hezekiah  appeals  to  God,  as  one  that 
knew  that  he  had  walked  before  him  in  truth,  and  with  a  per- 
fect heart,  2  Kings  xx.  3.  Jesus  Christ,  in  his  dying  discourse 
with  his  eleven  disciples,  in  the  14th,  15th  and  16th  chapters 
of  John,  (which  was,  as  it  were,  Christ's  last  will  and  testament 
to  his  disciples,  and  to  his  whole  church),  often  declares  his  spe- 
cial and  everlasting  love  to  them,  in  the  plainest  and  most  posi- 
tive terms;  and  promises  them  a  future  participation  with  him  in 
his  glory,  in  the  most  absolute  manner;  and  tells  tliem  at  the 
same  time,  that  he  does  so  to  the  end,  that  their  joy  might  be 
full;  John  xv.  11.  "These  things  have  I  spoken  unto  you,  that 
my  joy  might  remain  in  you,  and  that  your  joy  might  be  full." 
See  also  at  the  conclusion  of  his  whole  discourse,  chap.  xvi.  33. 
"  These  things  have  I  spoken  unto  you,  that  in  me  ye  might  have 
peace.  In  the  world  ye  shall  have  tribulation:  but  be  of  good 
cheer,  I  have  overcome  the  world."  Christ  was  not  afraid  of 
speaking  too  plainly  and  positively  to  them;  he  did  not  desire  to 
hold  them  in  the  least  suspense.  And  he  concluded  that  last 
discourse  of  his,  with  a  prayer  in  their  presence,  wherein  he 
speaks  positively  to  his  Father  of  those  eleven  disciples,  as  having 
all  of  them  savingly  known  him,  and  believed  in  him,  and  re- 
ceived and  kept  his  word;  and  that  they  were  not  of  the  world; 
and  that  for  their  sakes  he  sanctified  himself;  and  that  his  will 
was,  that  they  should  be  with  him  in  his  glory:  and  tells  his 
Father,  that  he  spake  those  things  in  his  prayer,  to  the  end,  that 
his  joy  might  be  fulfilled  in  them,  ver.  13.  By  these  things  it  is 
evident,  that  it  is  agreeable  to  Christ's  designs,  and  the  contrived 
ordering  and  disposition  Christ  makes  of  things  in  his  church, 
that  there  should  be  sufficient  and  abundant  provision  made,  that 
his  saints  might  have  full  assurance  of  their  future  glory. 

The  apostle  Paul,  through  all  his  epistles,  speaks  in  an  assured 
strain;  ever  speaking  positively  of  his  special  relation  to  Christ, 
his  I.ord,  and  Master,  and  Redeemer,  and  his  interest  in,  and 


98  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

expectations  of  a  future  reward.  It  would  be  endless  to  take  no- 
tice of  all  places  that  might  be  enumerated;  I  shall  mention  but 
three  or  four:  Gal.  ii.  20.  "  Christ  liveth  in  me:  and  the  life 
which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh,  I  live  by  the  faith  of  the  son  of  God, 
who  loved  me  and  gave  himself  for  me."  Phil.  i.  21.  "  For  me 
to  live  is  Christ,  and  to  die  is  gain."  2  Tim.  i.  12.  "I  know 
whom  I  have  believed,  and  I  am  persuaded  that  he  is  able  to  keep 
that  which  I  have  committed  unto  him  against  that  day."  2  Tim. 
iv.  7,  9.  "  I  have  fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course, 
I  have  kept  the  faith.  Henceforth  there  is  laid  up  for  me  a  crown 
of  righteousness,  which  the  Lord,  the  righteous  judge  will  give  me 
at  that  day." 

And  the  nature  of  the  covenant  of  grace,  and  God's  declared 
ends  in  the  appointment  and  constitution  of  things  in  that  cove- 
nant, do  plainly  show  it  to  be  God's  design  to  make  ample  provi- 
sion for  the  saints,  having  an  assured  hope  of  eternal  life,  while 
living  here  upon  earth.  For  so  are  all  things  ordered  and  con- 
trived in  that  covenant,  that  every  thing  might  be  made  sure  on 
God's  part.  "  The  covenant  is  ordered  in  all  things  and  sure:" 
the  promises  are  most  full,  and  very  often  repeated,  and  various 
ways  exhibited;  and  there  are  many  witnesses  and  many  seals; 
and  God  has  confirmed  his  promises  with  an  oath.  And  God's 
declared  design  in  all  this  is,  that  the  heirs  of  the  promises  might 
have  an  undoubting  hope  and  full  joy  in  an  assurance  of  their  fu- 
ture glory.  Heb.  vi.  17, 18.  "  Wherein  God,  willing  more  abun- 
dantly to  show  unto  the  heirs  of  promise  the  immutability  of  his 
counsel,  comfirmed  it  by  an  oath:  that  by  two  immutable  things,  in 
which  it  was  impossible  for  God  to  lie,  we  might  have  a  strong 
consolation,  who  have  fled  for  refuge  to  lay  hold  on  the  hope  set 
before  us."  But  all  this  would  be  in  vain,  to  any  such  purpose, 
as  the  saints'  strong  consolation,  and  hope  of  their  obtaining  fu- 
ture glory,  if  their  interest  in  those  sure  promises  in  ordinary  cases 
was  not  ascertainable.  For  God's  promises  and  oaths,  let  them 
be  as  sure  as  they  will,  can  not  give  strong  hope  and  comfort  to 
any  particular  person,  any  further  than  he  can  know  that  those 
promises  are  made  to  him.     And  in  vain  is  provision  made  in  Je- 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS,  99 

sus  Christ,  that  believers  might  be  perfect  as  pertaining  to  the 
conscience,  as  is  signified,  Heb.  ix.  9,  if  assurance  of  freedom 
from  the  guilt  of  sin  is  not  attainable. 

It  further  appears  that  assurance  is  not  only  attainable  in  some 
very  extraordinary  cases,  that  all  Christians  are  directed  to  give 
all  diligence  to  make  their  calling  and  election  sure,  and  are  told 
how  they  may  do  it,  2  Pet.  i.  5 — 8,  And  it  is  spoken  of  as  a  thing 
very  unbecoming  in  Christians,  and  an  argument  of  something 
very  blameable  in  them,  not  to  know  whetlier  Christ  be  in  them 
or  not,  2  Cor.  xiii.  5.  "  Know  ye  not  your  own  selves,  how  that 
Jesus  Christ  is  in  you,  except  ye  be  reprobates?"  And  it  is  im- 
plied that  it  is  an  argument  of  a  very  blameable  negligence  in 
Christians,  if  they  practise  Christianity  after  such  a  manner  as  to 
remain  uncertain  of  the  reward,  in  that  1  Cor.  ix,  26.  "  I  there- 
fore so  run  as  not  uncertainly."  And  to  add  no  more,  it  is  mani- 
fest that  Christians'  knowing  their  interests  in  their  saving  bene- 
fits of  Christianity  as  a  thing  ordinarily  attainable,  because  the 
apostles  tell  us  by  what  means  Christians  (and  not  only  apostles 
and  martyrs)  were  wont  to  know  this;  1  Cor.  ii.  12.  "  Now  we 
have  received,  not  the  spirit  of  the  world,  but  the  Spirit  which  is 
of  God;  that  we  might  know  the  things  that  are  freely  given  to  us 
of  God:"  and  1  John  ii.  3.  "  And  hereby  we  do  know  him,  if  we 
keep  his  commandments:"  and  verse  5,  "  Hereby  know  we  that 
we  are  in  him;"  chap.  iii.  14.  "  We  know  that  we  have  passed 
from  death  unto  life,  because  we  love  the  brethren:"  v.  1 9.  "  Here-^ 
by  we  know  that  we  are  of  the  truth,  and  shall  assure  our  hearts 
before  him:"  ver.  24.  "  Hereby  we  know  that  he  abideth  in  us,  by 
the  spirit  which  he  hath  given  us:"  so  chap.  iv.  13,  and  chap,  v, 
2,  and  ver.  19. 

Therefore  it  must  needs  be  very  unreasonable  to  determine  that 
persons  are  hypocrites,  and  their  affections  wrong,  because  they 
seem  to  be  out  of  doubt  of  their  own  salvation,  and  the  affections 
they  are  the  subjects  of  seem  to  banish  all  fears  of  hell. 

On  the  other  hand,  it  is  no  sufficient  reason  to  determine  that 
men  are  saints,  and  their  affections  gracious,  because  the  affections 
they  have  are  attended  with  an  exceeding  confidence  that  th^ir 


■A 


100  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

state  is  good  and  their  affections  divine.f  Nothing  can  be  cer- 
tainly argued  from  their  confidence,  how  great  and  strong  soever 
it  seems  to  be.  If  we  see  a  man  that  boldly  calls  God  his  father, 
and  commonly  speaks  in  the  most  bold,  familiar  and  appropri- 
ating language  in  prayer,  "  My  Father,  my  dear  Redeemer,  my 
sweet  Saviour,  my  Beloved!"  and  the  like; — and  it  is  a  common 
thing  for  him  to  use  the  most  confident  expressions  before  men, 
about  the  goodness  of  his  state;  such  as  "  I  know  certainly  that 
God  is  my  Father;  I  know  so  surely  as  there  is  a  God  in  heaven, 
that  he  is  my  God;  I  know  I  shall  go  to  heaven  as  well  as  if  I 
were  there^  I  know  that  God  is  now  manifesting  himself  to  my 
soul,  and  is  now  smiling  upon  me;"  and  seems  to  have  done  for- 
ever with  any  inquiry  or  examination  into  his  state,  as  a  thing 
sufficiently  known,  and  out  of  doubt,  and  to  contemn  all  that  so 
much  as  intimate  or  suggest  that  there  is  some  reason  to  doubt  or 
fear  whether  all  is  right;  such  things  are  no  signs  at  all  that  it  is 
indeed  so  as  he  is  confident  it  is4     Such  an  overbearing,  high- 

•j-  "  O  professor,  look  carefully  to  your  foundation:  "  Be  not  high  minded, 
but  fear.  You  have,  it  may  be,  done  and  suffered  in  many  things  in  and  for 
religion;  you  have  excellent  gifts  and  sweet  comforts;  a  warm  zeal  for  God, 
and  high  confidence  of  your  integrity:  all  this  may  be  right,  for  aught  that 
I  or  (it  may  be)  you  know;  but  yet  it  is  possible  it  may  be  false.  You 
have  sometimes  judged  yourselves,  and  pronounced  yourselves  upright;  but 
remember  your  final  sentence  is  not  yet  pronounced  by  your  Judge.  And 
what  if  God  weigh  you  over  again,  in  his  more  equal  balance,  and  should  say, 
JHeiie  Tekely  Thou  art  weighed  in  the  balance,  and  art  found  wanting!  What 
a  confounded  man  wilt  thou  be  under  such  a  sentence,  Qu<e  splendent  in  cou' 
spectu  hominis,  sordent  in  conspectu  jiulicis;  things  that  are  highly  esteemed 
of  men  are  an  abomination  in  the  sight  of  God:  he  seeth  not  as  man  seelh. 
Thy  heart  may  be  false,  and  thou  not  know  it:  yea,  it  may  be  false,  and  thou 
strongly  confident  of  its  integrity."  JP/awer*  Touchstone  of  Sincerity ,  Chap.  ii. 
sect.  5. 

"  Some  hypocrites  are  a  great  deal  more  confident  than  many  saints." 
Stoddard's  Discourse  on  the  -way  to  know  sincerity  and  hypocrisy,  p.  128 

+  "Doth  the  work  of  the  faith  in  some  believers,  bear  upon  its  top  branches 
the  full-ripe  fruits  of  a  blessed  assurance?  Lo,  what  strong  confidence  and 
high-built  persuasions  of  an  interest  in  God  have  sometimes  been  found  in 
unsanctified  ones!  Yea,  so  strong  may  this  assurance  be,  that  tliey  dare  bold- 
ly venture  to  go  to  the  judgment  seat  of  God,  and  there  defend  it.    Doth  the 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  101 

handed  and  violent  sort  of  confidence  as  this,  so  affecting  to  de- 
clare itself  with  a  most  glaring  shoiv  in  the  sight  of  men,  which 
is  to  be  seen  in  many,  has  not  the  countenance  of  a  true  chris- 
tian assurance:  it  savours  more  of  the  spirit  of  the  pharisees,  who 
never  doubted  but  that  they  were  saints,  and  the  most  eminent  of 
saints,  and  were  bold  to  go  to  God,  and  come  up  near  to  him,  and 
lift  up  their  eyes,  and  thank  him  for  the  great  distinction  he  had 
made  between  them  and  other  men;  and  when  Christ  intimated 
that  they  were  blind  and  graceless,  despised  the  suggestion;  John 
ix.  40,  "  And  some  of  the  pharisees  which  were  with  him  heard 
these  words,  and  said  unto  him.  Are  we  blind  also?"  If  they  had 
more  of  the  spirit  of  the  publican  with  their  confidence,  who,  in 
a  sense  of  his  exceeding  unworthiness,  stood  afar  off,  and  durst  not 
so  much  as  lift  up  his  eyes  to  heaven,  but  smote  on  his  breast,  and 
cried  out  of  himself  as  a  sinner,  their  confidence  would  have  more 
of  the  aspect  of  the  confidence  of  one  that  humbly  trusts  and 
hopes  in  Christ,  and  has  no  confidence  in  himself. 

If  we  do  but  consider  what  the  hearts  of  natural  men  are,  what 
principles  they  are  under  the  dominion  of,  what  blindness  and 
deceit,  what  self-flattery,  self-exaltation  and  self-confidence  reign 
there,  we  need  not  at  all  wonder  that  their  high  opinion  of  them- 
selves and  confidence  in  their  happy  circumstances,  be  as  high  and 
strong  as  mountains,  and  as  violent  as  a  tempest,  when  once  con- 
science is  blinded  and  convictions  killed  with  false,  high  affec- 
tions, and  tnose  fore-mentioned  principles  let  loose,  fed  up  and 
prompted  by  false  joys  and  comforts,  excited  by  some  pleasing 
imaginations  impressed  by  Satan,  transforming  himself  into  an 
angel  of  light. 

When  once  a  hypocrite  is  thus  established  in  a  false  hope,  he 
has  not  those  things  to  cause  him  to  call  his  hope  in  question,  that 
oftentimes  are  the  occasion  of  the  doubting  of  true  saints;  as,^rsf, 
he  has  not  that  cautious  spirit,  that  great  sense  of  the  vast  impor- 

Spirit  of  God  fill  the  heart  of  the  assured  believer  with  joy  unspeakable  and 
full  of  glory,  giving  him,  through  faith,  a  prelibation  or  foretaste  of  heaven 
itself,  in  those  first  fruits  of  it?  How  near  to  this  comes  what  the  Apostle  sup- 
poses may  be  found  in  apostates!"  Flavel's  Husbandry  Spiritualized,  chap.  xii. 


103  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

tance  of  a  suie  loundation,  and  that  dread  of  being  deceived.  The 
comforts  of  the  true  saints  increase  awakening  and  caution,  and 
a  livel)'  sense  how  great  a  thing  it  is  to  appear  before  an  infinite- 
ly holy,  just  and  omniscient  Judge,     But  false  comforts  put  an 
end  to  these  things,  and  dreadfully  stupify  the  mind.     Secondly^ 
The  hypocrite  has  not  the  knowledge  of  his  own  blindness  and 
the  deceitfulness  of  his  own  heart,  and  that  mean  opinion  of  his 
own  understanding,  that  the  true  saint  has.     Those  that  are  de- 
luded with  false  discoveries  and  affections,  are  ever  more  highly 
conceited  of  their  light  and  understanding.     Thirdly,  The  devil 
does  not  assault  the  hope  of  the  hypocrite,  as  he  does  the  hope 
of  a  true  saint.   The  devil  is  a  great  enemy  to  true  christian  hope, 
not  only  because  it  tends  greatly  to  the  comfort  of  him  that  hath 
it,  but  also  because  it  is  a  thing  of  a  holy,  heavenly  nature,  great- 
ly tending  to  promote  and  cherish  grace  iu  the  heart,  and  a  great 
incentive  to  strictness  and  diligence  in  the  christian  life.     But 
he  is  no  enemy  to  the  hope  of  a  hypocrite,  which,  above  all  things, 
establishes  his  interest  in  him  that  has  it.     A  hypocrite  may  re- 
tain his  hope,  without  opposition,  as  long  as  he  lives;  the  devil 
never  disturbing  it  nor  attempting  to  disturb  it.  But  there  is  per- 
haps no  true  Christian  but  what  has  his  hope  assaulted  by  him. 
Satan  assaulted  Christ  himself,  upon  this,  whether  he  were  the 
Son  of  God  or  not:  and  the  servant  is  not  above  his  Master,  nor 
the  disciple  above  his  Lord;  it  is  enough  for  the  disciple,  that  is 
most  privileged  in  this  world,  to  be  as  his  Master.     Fourthly,  He 
who  has  a  false  hope,  has  not  that  sight  of  his  own  corruptions 
which  the  saint  has.     A  true  Christian  has  ten  times  as  much  to 
do  wdth  his  heart  and  its  corruptions  as  a  hypocrite:  and  the  sins 
of  his  heart  and  practice  appear  to  him  in  their  blackness;   they 
look  dreadful;  and  it  often  appears  a  very  mysterious  thing  that 
any  grace  can  be  consistent  with  such  corruption,  or  should  be  in 
such  a  heart.     But  a  false  hope  hides  corruption,  covers  it  all 
over,  and  the  hypocrite  looks  clean  and  bright  in  his  own  eyes. 

There  are  two  sorts  of  hypocrites:  one  that  are  deceived  with 
their  outward  morality  and  external  religion;  many  of  whom  are 
professed  Arminians  in  the  doctarine  of  justification:  and  the  other 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  lOS 

are  those  that  are  deceived  with  false  discoveries  and  elevations; 
who  often  cry  down  wdrks  and  mens  own  righteousness,  and  talk 
much  of  free  grace;  but  at  the  same  time  make  a  righteousness  of 
their  discoveries,  and  of  their  humiliation,  and  exalt  themselves  to 
heaven  with  them.  These  two  kinds  of  hypocrites,  Mr.  Shepard, 
in  his  exposition  of  the  parable  of  the  ten  virgins,  distinguishes  by 
the  names  of  legal  and  evangelical  hj^DOcrites;  and  often  speaks  of 
the  latter  as  the  worst.  And  it  is  evident  that  the  latter  are,  com- 
monly, by  far  the  most  confident  in  their  hope,  and  with  the  most 
difficulty  brought  off  from  it:  I  have  scarcely  known  the  instance 
of  such  a  one,  in  my  life,  that  has  been  undeceived.  The  chief 
grounds  of  the  confidence  of  many  of  them,  are  the  very  same  kind 
of  impulses  and  supposed  revelations  (sometimes  with  texts  of  scrip- 
ture and  sometimes  without)  tliat  so  many  of  late  have  had  con- 
cerning future  events;  calling  these  impulses  about  their  good  estate, 
the  witness  of  the  Spirit,  entirely  misunderstanding  the  nature  of 
the  witness  of  the  Spirit,  as  I  shall  show  hei'eafter.  Those  who 
have  had  visions  and  impulses  about  other  things,  it  has  generally 
been  to  reveal  such  things  as  they  are  desirous  and  fond  of:  and 
no  wonder  that  persons  who  give  heed  to  such  things,  have  the 
same  sort  of  visions  or  impressions  about  their  own  eternal  salva- 
tion, to  reveal  to  them  that  their  sins  are  forgiven  them,  that  their 
names  are  written  in  the  book  of  life,  that  they  are  in  high  fa- 
vour with  God,  &,c.  and  especially  when  they  earnestly  seek,  ex- 
pect and  wait  for  evidence  of  their  election  and  salvation  this 
way,  as  the  surest  and  most  glorious  evidence  of  it.  Neither  is 
it  any  wonder,  that  when  they  have  such  a  supposed  revelation 
of  their  good  estate,  it  raises  in  them  the  highest  degree  of  con- 
fidence of  it.  It  is  found,  by  abundant  experience,  that  those 
who  are  led  away  by  impulses  and  imagined  revelations,  arc  ex- 
tremely confident:  they  sujipose  that  the  great  Jehovah  has  de- 
clared these  and  those  things  to  them;  and  having  his  immediate 
testimony,  a  strong  confidence  is  the  highest  virtue.  Hence  they 
are  bold  to  say,  I  know  this  or  that; — I  know  certainly; — I  am 
as  sure  as  that  I  have  a  being,  and  the  like;  and  they  despise  all 
argument  and  inquiry  in  the  case.  And  above  all  things  else,  it 
is  easy  to  be  accounted  for,  that  impressions  and  impulses,  about 


104  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

that  which  is  so  pleasing,  so  suiting  their  self-love  and  pride,  as 
their  being  the  dear  children  of  God,  distinguished  from  most  in 
the  world  in  his  favour,  should  make  them  strongly  confident; 
especially  when  with  their  impulses  and  revelations  they  have 
high  affections,  which  they  take  to  be  the  most  eminent  exercises 
of  grace.  I  have  known  of  several  persons  that  have  had  a  fond 
desire  of  something  of  a  temporal  nature,  through  a  violent  pas- 
sion that  has  possessed  them,  and  they  have  been  earnestly  pur- 
suing the  thing  they  have  desired  should  come  to  pass,  and  have 
met  with  great  difficulty  and  many  discouragements  in  it;  but  at 
last  have  had  an  impression,  or  supposed  revelation,  that  they 
should  obtain  what  they  sought;  and  they  have  looked  upon  it  as 
a  sure  promise  from  the  Most  High,  which  has  made  them  most 
ridiculously  confident,  against  all  manner  of  reason  to  convince 
them  to  the  contrary,  and  all  events  working  against  them.  And 
there  is  nothing  hinders  but  that  persons,  who  are  seeking  their 
salvation,  may  be  deceived  by  the  like  delusive  impressions,  and 
be  made  confident  of  that  in  the  same  way. 

The  confidence  of  many  of  this  sort  of  hypocrites,  that  Mr. 
Shepard  calls  evangelical  hypocrites^  is  like  the  confidence  of 
some  mad  men,  who  think  they  are  kings:  they  will  maintain  it 
against  all  manner  of  reason  and  evidence.  And  in  one  sense, 
it  is  much  more  immoveable  than  a  truly  gracious  assurance,  a 
true  assurance  is  not  upheld,  but  by  the  soul's  being  kept  in  a 
holy  frame,  and  grace  maintained  in  lively  exercise.  If  the  act- 
ings of  grace  do  much  decay  in  the  Christian,  and  he  falls  into  a 
lifeless  frame,  he  loses  his  assurance:  but  this  kind  of  confidence 
of  hypocrites  will  not  be  shaken  by  sin;  they  (at  least  some  of 
them)  will  maintain  their  boldness  in  their  hope,  in  the  most  cor- 
rupt frames  and  wicked  ways;  which  is  a  sure  evidence  of  their 
delusion. t 

■j-  Mr.  Shepard  speaks  of  it,  as  a  "  presumptuous  peace,  that  is  not  in- 
ten'upted  and  broke  to  pieces  by  evil  works."  And  says,  "  That  the  spi- 
rit will  sigh,  and  not  sing  in  that  bosom,  whence  corrupt  dispositions  and 
passions  break  out."  And  that  "  though  men  in  such  frames  may  seem  to 
maintain  the  consolation  of  the  Spirit,  and  not  suspect  their  hypocrisy. 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  105 

And  here  I  can  not  but  observe,  that  there  are  certain  doctrines 
often  preached  to  the  people,  which  need  to  be  delivered  with 
more  caution  and  explanation  than  they  frequently  are;  for,  as 
they  are  by  many  understood,  they  tend  greatly  to  establish  this 
delusion  and  false  confidence  of  hypocrites.  The  doctrines  I 
speak  of  are  those  of  "  Christians  living  by  faith,  not  by  sight; 
their  giving  glory  to  God,  by  trusting  him  in  the  dark;  living 
upon  Christ,  and  not  upon  experiences;  not  making  their  good 
frames  the  foundation  of  their  faith:"  which  are  excellent  and 
important  doctrines  indeed,  rightly  understood,  but  corrupt  and 
destructive,  as  many  understand  them.  The  scripture  speaks  of 
living  or  walking  by  faith,  and  not  by  sight,  in  no  other  way  than 
these,  viz.  a  being  governed  by  respect  to  eternal  things,  that 
are  the  objects  of  faith  and  are  not  seen,  and  not  by  a  respect  to 
temporal  things,  which  are  seen;  and  believing  things  revealed, 
that  we  never  saw  with  bodily  eyes;  and  also  living  by  faith  in 
the  promise  of  future  things,  without  yet  seeing  or  enjoying  the 
things  promised,  or  knowing  the  way  how  they  can  be  fulfilled. 
This  will  be  easily  evident  to  any  one,  who  looks  over  the  scrip- 
tures, which  speak  oi  faith  in  opposition  to  sight;  as  2  Cor.  iv. 
18,  and  V.  7.  Heb.  xi.  1,  8,  13,  17,  27,  29.  Rom.  viii.  24. 
John  XX.  29.  But  this  doctrine  as  it  is  understood  by  many,  is, 
that  Christians  ought  firmly  to  believe  and  trust  in  Christ,  with- 
out spiritual  sight  or  light,  and,  although  they  are  in  a  dark,  dead 
frame,  and,  for  the  present,  have  no  spiritual  experiences  or  dis- 
coveries. And  it  is  truly  the  duty  of  those  who  are  thus  in  dark- 
ness, to  come  out  of  darkness  into  light,  and  believe.  But  that 
they  should  confidently  believe  and  trust,  while  they  yet  remain 
without  spiritual  light  or  sight,  is  an  antiscriptural  and  absurd 
doctrine.     The  scripture  is  ignorant  of  any  such  faith  in  Christ 

under  pretence  of  trusting  the  Lord's  mercy;  yet  they  can  not  avoid  the 
condemnation  of  the  world."     Parable  of  the  ten  Virgins,  Part  I.  p.  139. 

Ur.  Ames  speaks  of  it  as  a  thing,  by  which  the  peace  of  a  wicked  man 
may  be  <listiiiguished  from  the  peace  of  a  godly  man,  "  that  the  peace  of  a 
wicked  man  continues,  whetlier  he  performs  tiie  duties  of  piety  and  righte- 
ousness or  not;  provided  those  crimes  are  avoided  that  appear  horrid  to 
nature  itself."     Caaea  of  Con^ience,  iii.lU.  Chap.  vii. 


106  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

of  the  operation  of  God,  that  is  not  founded  in  a  spiritual  sight 
of  Christ.  That  believing  on  Christ,  which  accompanies  a  title 
to  everlasting  life,  is  a  "  seeing  the  Son,  and  believing  on  him," 
John  vi.  40.  True  faith  in  Christ  is  never  exercised,  any  fur- 
ther than  persons  "  behold  as  in  a  glass  the  glory  of  the  Lord, 
and  have  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God  in  the  face  of  Jesus 
Christ,  2  Cor.  iii.  18,  and  iv.  6.  They,  into  whose  minds,  "  the 
light  of  the  glorious  gospel  of  Christ,  who  is  the  image  of  God, 
does  not  shine,  believe  not,"  2  Cor,  iv.  4.  That  faith  which  is 
without  spiritual  light,  is  not  the  faith  of  the  children  of  the  light 
and  of  the  day;  but  the  presumption  of  the  children  of  darkness. 
And  therefore  to  press  and  urge  them  to  believe,  without  any 
spiritual  light  or  sight,  tends  greatly  to  help  forward  the  delusion  of 
the  prince  of  darkness.  Men  not  only  can  not  exercise  faith  with- 
out some  spiritual  light,  but  they  can  exercise  faith  only  just  in 
such  proportion  as  they  have  spiritual  light.  Men  will  trust  in 
God  no  further  than  they  know  him:  and  they  can  not  be  in  the 
exercise  of  faith  in  him,  one  ace  further  than  they  have  a  sight 
of  his  fulness,  and  faithfulness  in  exercise.  Nor  can  they  have 
the  exercise  of  trust  in  God,  any  further  than  they  are  in  a  gra- 
cious frame.  They  that  are  in  a  dead,  carnal  frame,  doubtless 
ought  to  trust  in  God;  because  that  would  be  the  same  thing  as 
coming  out  of  their  bad  frame,  and  turning  to  God:  but  to  ex- 
hort men  confidently  to  trust  in  God,  and  so  hold  up  their  hope 
and  peace,  though  they  are  not  in  a  gracious  frame,  and  continue 
still  to  be  so,  is  the  same  thing  in  effect,  as  to  exhort  them  con- 
fidently to  trust  in  God,  but  not  with  a  gracious  trust:  and  what 
is  that  but  a  wicked  presumption?  It  is  just  as  impossible  for 
men  to  have  a  strong  or  lively  trust  in  God,  when  they  have  no 
lively  exercises  of  grace,  or  sensible  christian  experiences,  as  it 
is  for  them  to  be  in  the  lively  exercises  of  grace,  without  the  ex- 
ercises of  grace. 

It  is  true,  that  it  is  the  duty  of  God's  people  to  trust  in  him, 
when  in  darkness,  and  though  they  remain  still  in  darkness,  in 
that  sense,  that  they  ought  to  trust  in  God,  when  the  aspects  of 
his  providence  are  dark,  and  look  as  though  God  had  forsaken 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  107 

them,  and  did  not  hear  their  prayers,  and  many  clouds  gather,  and 
many  enemies  surround  them  with  a  formidable  aspect,  threat- 
ening to  swallow  them  up,  and  all  events  of  providence  seem  to 
be  against  them,  all  circumstances  seem  to  render  the  promises 
of  God  difficult  to  be  fulfilled,  and  God  must  be  trusted  out  of 
sight,  i.  e.  when  we  can  not  see  which  way  it  is  possible  for 
him  to  fulfil  his  word,  every  thing  but  God's  mere  word,  makes 
it  look  unlikely,  so  if  persons  believe,  they  must  hope  against 
hope.  Thus  the  ancient  patriarchs,  and  Job,  and  the  Psalmist, 
and  Jeremiah,  Daniel,  Shadrach,  Meshech,  and  Abcdnego,  and 
ifhe  apostle  Paul  gave  glory  to  God,  by  trusting  in  God  in  dark- 
ness. And  we  have  many  instances  of  such  a  glorious  victorious 
faith  in  the  eleventh  of  the  Hebrews.  But  how  different  a  thing 
is  this,  from  trusting  in  God  without  spiritual  sight,  and  being  at 
the  same  time  in  a  dead  and  carnal  frame ! 

There  is  also  such  a  thing  as  spiritual  light  being  let  into  the 
soul  one  ivay,  when  it  is  not  in  another;  and  so  there  is  such  a 
thing  as  the  saints  trusting  in  God,  and  also  knowing  their  good 
estate,  when  they  are  destitute  of  some  kinds  of  experience.  As 
for  instance,  they  may  have  clear  views  of  God's  sufficiency  and 
faithfulness,  and  so  confidently  trust  in  him,  and  know  that  they 
are  his  children;  and  at  the  same  time,  not  have  those  clear  and 
sweet  ideas  of  his  love  as  at  other  times:  for  it  was  thus  with 
Christ  himself  in  his  last  passion.  And  they  may  have  views  of 
much  of  God's  sovereignty,  holiness,  and  all-sufficiency,  enabling 
ihem  quietly  to  submit  to  him,  and  exercise  a  sweet  and  most 
encouraging  hope  in  God's  fulness,  whei]  they  are  not  satisfied  of 
their  own  good  estate.  But  how  different  things  are  these  from 
confidently  trusting  in  God  without  spiritual  light  or  experience! 

Those  that  thus  insist  on  persons  living  by  faith,  when  they 
have  no  experience,  and  are  in  very  bad  frames,  are  also  very 
absurd  in  their  notions  of  faith.  What  they  mean  by  faith  is, 
believing  that  they  are  in  a  good  estate.  Hence  the}^  count  it 
a  dreadful  sin  for  them  to  doubt  of  their  state,  whatever  frames 
they  are  in,  and  whatever  wicked  things  Ihey  do,  because  it  is 
the  great  and  heinous  sin  of  unbelief;  and  he  is  the  best  man, 


108  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGiXS 

and  puts  most  honour  upon  God,  that  maintains  his  hope  of  his 
good  estate  the  most  confidently  and  immoveably,  when  he  has 
the  least  light  or  experience;  that  is  to  say,  when  he  is  in  the 
worst  and  most  wicked  frame  and  way;  because,  forsooth,  that  is  a 
sign  that  he  is  strong  in  faith,  giving  glory  to  God,  and  against 
hope  believes  in  hope.  But  what  Bible  do  they  learn  this  no- 
tion of  faith  out  of,  that  it  is  a  man's  confidently  believing  that 
he  is  in  a  good  estate  f?  If  this  be  faith,  the  pharisees  had  faith 
in  an  eminent  degree:  some  of  which,  Christ  teaches,  commit- 
ted the  unpardonable  sin  against  the  Holy  Ghost.  The  scripture 
represents  faith  as  that,  by  which  men  are  brought  into  a  good 
estate;  and  therefore  it  can  not  be  the  same  thing,  as  believ- 
ing that  they  are  already  in  a  good  estate.  To  suppose  that 
faith  consists  in  persons  believing  that  they  are  in  a  good  es- 
tate, is  in  effect  the  same  thing,  as  to  suppose  that  faith  consists 
in  a  person's  believing  that  he  has  faith,  or  believing  that  he  be- 
lieves. 

Indeed  persons  doubting  of  their  good  estate,  may,  in  several 
respects,  arise  from  unbelief.  It  may  be  from  unbelief,  or  be- 
cause they  have  so  little  faith,  that  they  have  so  little  evidence 
of  their  good  estate:  if  they  had  more  experience  of  the  actings 
of  faiili,  and  so  more  experience  of  the  exercise  of  grace,  they 
would  have  clearer  evidence  that  theii'  state  was  good;  and  so 
their  doubts  would  be  removed.  And  then  their  doubting  of 
their  state  may  be  from  unbelief,  thus,  when,  though  there  be 
many  things  that  are  good  evidences  of  a  work  of  grace  in  them, 

•j-  "  Men  do  not  know  that  they  are  godly,  by  believing  that  they  are 
godly.''  We  know  many  things  by  faith,  Heb.  xi  3.  "By  faith  we  un-  - 
derstand  that  the  worlds  were  made  by  the  word  of  God.  Faith  is  the  evi- 
dence of  things  not  seen."  Heb.  xi.  1.  Thus  men  know  the  trinity  of 
persons  in  the  Godhead;  that  Jesus  Christ  is  the  Son  of  GodT  that  he  that 
believes  in  him  will  have  eternal  life;  the  resurrection  of  the  dead.  And 
if  God  should  tell  a  saint  that  he  hath  grace,  he  might  know  it  by  believing 
the  word  of  God.  But  it  is  not  this  way,  that  godly  men  do  know  that  they 
have  grace.  It  is  not  revealed  in  the  word,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  doth  not 
testify  it  to  particular  persons."  Stoddard's  JVatiire  of  Saving  Co7iversion,  /». 
8S,  84. 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  109 

yet  they  doubt  very  much  whether  they  are  really  in  a  state  of 
favour  with  God,  because  it  is  they,  those  that  are  so  unworthy, 
and  have  done  so  much  to  provoke  God  to  anger  against  them. 
Their  doubts  in  such  a  case  arise  from  unbelief,  as  they  arise 
from  want  of  a  sufiicient  sense  of,  and  reliance  on,  the  infinite 
riches  of  God's  grace,  and  the  sufficiency  of  Christ  for  the  chief 
of  sinners.  They  may  also  be  from  unbelief,  when  they  doubt 
of  their  state,  because  of  the  mystery  of  God's  dealings  with 
them:  they  are  not  able  to  reconcile  such  dispensations  with 
God's  favour  to  them:  or  when  they  doubt  whether  they  have 
<mj  interest  in  the  promises,  because  the  promises  from  the  as- 
pect of  providence  appear  so  unlikely  to  be  fulfilled;  the  difficul- 
ties that  are  in  the  way,  are  so  many  and  great.  Such  doubting 
arises  from  want  of  dependence  upon  God's  almiglity  power,  and 
his  knowledge  and  wisdom,  as  infinitely  above  theirs.  But  yet, 
in  such  persons,  their  unbelief  and  their  doubting  of  their  state 
are  not  the  same  thing;  though  one  arises  from  the  other. 

Persons  may  be  greatly  to  blame  for  doubting  of  their  state,  on 
such  grounds  as  these  last  mentioned;  and  they  may  be  to  blame 
that  they  have  no  more  grace  and  no  more  of  the  present  exer- 
cises and  experiences  of  it,  to  be  an  evidence  to  them  of  the 
goodness  of  their  state:  men  are  doubtless  to  blame  for  being  in  a 
dead  ca»nal  frame;  but  when  they  are  in  such  a  frame,  and  have 
no  sensiole  experience  of  the  exercises  of  grace,  but  on  the  con- 
trary, are  much  under  the  prevalence  of  their  lusts  and  an  unchris- 
tian spirit,  they  are  not  to  blame  for  doubting  of  their  state.  It 
is  as  impossible,  in  the  nature  of  things,  that  a  holy  and  chris- 
tian hope  should  be  kept  alive,  in  its  clearness  and  strength,  in 
such  circumstances,  as  it  is  to  keep  the  light  in  the  room  when 
the  candle  is  put  out;  or  to  maintain  the  bright  sunshine  in  the 
air  when  the  sun  is  gone  down.  Distant  experiences,  when  dark- 
ened by  present  prevailing  lust  and  corruption,  never  keep  alive 
a  gracious  confidence  and  assurance;  but  that  sickens  and  decays 
upon  it,  as  necessarily  as  a  little  child  by  repeated  blows  on  the 
head  with  a  hammer.  Nor  is  it  at  all  to  be  lamented,  that  per- 
sons doubt  of  their  state  in  such  circumstances:  but,  on  the  con- 


110  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

traiy,  it  is  desirable  and  every  way  Ijest  lluit  they  should.  It 
is  agreeable  to  that  wise  and  merciful  constitution  of  things 
which  God  hath  established,  that  it  should  be  so.  For  so  liath 
God  contrived  and  constituted  things,  in  his  dispensations  towards 
his  own  people,  that  when  their  love  decays,  and  the  exercises 
of  it  fail  or  become  weak,  fear  should  arise;  for  then  they  need 
to  restrain  them  from  sin  and  excite  them  to  care  for  the  good  of 
their  souls,  and  so  to  stir  them  up  to  watchfulness  and  diligence 
in  religion;  but  God  hath  so  ordered,  that  when  love  rises  and  is 
in  vigorous  exercise,  then  fear  sliould  vanish  and  be  driven  away; 
for  then  they  need  it  not,  having  a  higher  and  more  excellent 
principle  in  exercise,  to  restrain  them  from  sin  and  stir  them  up 
to  their  duty.  There  are  no  other  principles  which  human  nature 
is  under  the  influence  of,  that  will  ever  make  men  conscientious, 
but  these  two,  fear  or  love,  and  therefore,  if  one  of  these  should 
not  prevail  as  the  other  decays,  God's  people,  when  fallen  into 
dead  and  carnal  frames,  when  love  is  asleep,  would  be  lamentably 
exposed  indeed.  And  therefore  God  has  wisely  ordained  that 
these  two  opposite  principles  of  love  and  fear  should  rise  and 
fall,  like  the  two  opposite  scales  of  a  balance;  when  one  rises 
the  other  sinks.  As  light  and  darkness  necessarily  and  unavoid- 
ably succeed  each  other;  if  light  prevails,  so  much  does  darkness 
cease,  and  no  more;  and  if  light  decays,  so  much  does  darkness 
prevail:  so  it  is  in  the  heart  of  a  child  of  God:  if  divine  love 
decays  and  falls  asleep  and  lust  prevails,  the  light  and  joy  of 
hope  go  out,  and  dark  fear  and  doubting  arise;  and  if,  on  the 
contrary,  divine  love  prevails  and  comes  into  lively  exercise,  this 
brings  in  the  brightness  of  hope,  and  drives  away  black  lust  and 
fear  with  i(.  Love  is  the  spirit  of  adoption,  or  the  childlike 
principle:  if  that  slumbers,  men  fall  under  fear,  which  is  the 
spirit  of  bondage,  or  the  servile  principh;  and  so  on  the  con- 
trary. And  if  it  be  so,  that  love  or  the  spirit  of  adoption  be  car- 
ried to  a  great  height,  it  cjuite  drives  away  all  fear,  and  gives  full 
assurance  agreeable  to  that  of  the  apostle,  1  John  iv.  18.  "There 
is  no  fear  in  love,  but  perfect  love  casts  out  fear."  These  two 
opposite  principles  of  lust  and  holy  love,  bring  hope  and  fear  into 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS,  111 

the  hearts  of  God's  children,  in  proportion  as  they  prevail;  that 
is,  when  left  to  their  own  natural  influence,  without  something 
adventitious  or  accidental  intervening;  as  the  distemper  of  melan- 
choly, doctrinal  ignorance,  prejudices  of  education,  wrong  in- 
struction, false  principles,  peculiar  temptations,  &c. 

Fear  is  cast  out  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  no  other  way  than  by 
the  prevailing  of  love;  nor  is  it  ever  maintained  by  his  Spirit  but 
when  love  is  asleep.  At  such  a  time,  in  vain  is  all  the  saint's 
self-examinations,  and  poring  on  past  experience,  in  order  to  es- 
tablish his  peace  and  get  assurance.  For  it  is  contrary  to  the 
nature  of  things,  as  God  hath  constituted  them,  that  he  should 
have  assurance  at  such  a  time. 

They  therefore  do  directly  thwart  God's  wise  and  gracious  con- 
stitution of  things,  who  exhort  others  to  be  confident  in  their  hope, 
when  in  dead  frames;  under  a  notion  of  "  living  by  faith  and  not 
by  sight,  and  trusting  God  in  the  dark,  and  living  upon  Christ  and 
not  upon  experiences;"  and  warn  them  not  to  doubt  of  their  good 
estate,  lest  they  should  be  guilty  of  the  dreadful  sin  of  unbelief. 
And  it  has  a  direct  tendency  to  establish  the  most  presumptuous 
hypocrites,  and  to  prevent  their  ever  calling  their  state  in  ques- 
tion, how  much  soever  wickedness  rages  and  reigns  in  their 
hearts  and  prevails  in  their  lives;  under  a  notion  of  honouring 
God  by  hoping  against  hope,  and  confidently  trusting  in  God 
>vhen  things  look  very  dark.  And  doubtless  vast  has  been  the 
mischief  that  has  been  done  this  way. 

Persons  can  not  be  said  to  forsake  Christ  and  live  on  their  ex- 
periences of  the  exercises  of  grace,  merely  because  they  take 
them  and  use  them  as  evidences  of  grace;  for  there  are  no  other 
evidences  that  they  can  or  ought  to  take.  But  then  may  persons 
be  said  to  live  upon  their  experiences  when  they  make  a  righte- 
ousness of  them,  and  instead  of  keeping  their  eye  on  God's  glofy 
and  Christ's  excellency,  they  turn  their  eyes  off  these  objects 
without  them,  on  to  themselves,  to  entertain  their  minds  by  view- 
ing their  own  attainments  and  high  experiences,  and  the  great 
things  they  have  met  with,  and  are  bright  and  beautiful  in  their 
own  eyes,  and  are  rich  and  increased  with  goods  in  their  own 


112  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

apprehensions,  and  think  that  God  has  as  admiring  an  esteem  of 
them  on  the  same  account  as  they  have  of  themselves:  this  is 
living  on  experiences  and  not  on  Christ;  and  is  more  abominable 
in  the  sight  of  God  than  the  gross  immoralities  of  those  who  make 
no  pretences  to  religion.  But  this  is  a  far  different  thing  from  a 
mere  improving  experiences  as  evidences  of  an  interest  in  a  glo- 
rious Redeemer. 

But  to  return  from  this  digression,  I  would  mention  one  thing 
more  under  the  general  head  that  I  am  upon. 

XII.  Nothing  can  be  certainly  concluded  concerning  the  na- 
ture of  religious  affections,  that  any  are  the  subjects  of,  from  this, 
that  the  outward  manifestations  of  them,  and  the  relation  persons 
give  of  them,  are  very  affeciing  and  pleasing  to  the  truly  godly, 
and  such  as  greatly  gain  their  charity,  and  win  their  hearts. 

The  true  saints  have  not  such  a  spirit  of  discerning  that  they 
can  certainly  determine  who  are  godly  and  who  are  not.  For 
though  they  know  experimentally  what  true  religion  is,  in  the 
internal  exercises  of  it;  yet  these  are  what  they  can  neither  feel, 
nor  see,  in  the  heart  of  another.!  There  is  nothing  in  others, 
that  comes  within  their  view,  but  outward  manifestations  and 
appearances;  but  the  scripture  plainly  intimates,  that  this  way 
of  judging  what  is  in  men  by  outward  appearances,  is  at  best 
uncertain,  and  liable  to  deceit,  1  Sam.  xvi.  7.  "  The  Lord 
seeth  not  as  man  seeth;  for  man  looketh  on  the  outward  appear- 
ance, but  the  Lord  looketh  on  the  heart,"  Isa.  xi.  3.  "  He  shall 
not  judge  after  the  sight  of  his  eyes,  neither  reprove  after  the 
hearing  of  his  ears.":}:    They  commonly  are  but  poor  judges,  and 

■(■  Men  may  have  the  knowledge  of  their  own  conversion:  The  knowledge 
that  other  men  have  of  it  is  uncertain,  because  no  man  can  look  in  the  heart 
of  another  and  see  the  workings  of  grace  there."  Sloddard^s  JYature  of  Saving 
Conversion,  chap.  xv.  at  the  beginning. 

+  "  Mr.  Stoddard  observes,  Tliat  "  all  visible  signs  are  common  to  convert- 
ed and  unconverted  men;  and  a  relation  of  experiences,  among  the  rest." 
Jippeal  to  the  Learned,  p.  75. 

"  O  how  hard  it  is  for  tlie  eye  of  man  to  discern  betwixt  chaff'  and  wheat! 
And  how  many  upright  hearts  are  now  censured,  whom  God  will  clear!  How 
many  false  hearts  are  now  approved  whom  God  will  condemn!    Men  oi-dina- 


TO  DISTINGUISH   AFFECTIONS.  113 

dangerous  counsellors  in  soul  cases,  who  are  quick  and  peremp- 
tory in  determining  persons'  states,  vaunting  themselves  in  their 
extraordinary  faculty  of  discerning  and  distinguishing  in  these 
great  affairs;  as  though  all  was  open  and  clear  to  them.  Thej 
betray  one  of  tiiese  three  things:  either  that  they  have  had  but 
little  experience;  or  arc  persons  of  a  weak  judgment;  or  that 
they  have  a  great  degree  of  pride  and  self-confidence,  and  so  ig- 
norance of  themselves.  Wise  and  experienced  men  will  proceed 
with  great  caution  in  such  an  affair. 

When  there  are  many  probable  appearances  of  piety  in  others, 
it  is  the  duty  of  the  saints  to  receive  them  cordially  into  their 
charity,  and  to  love  them  and  rejoice  in  them,  as  their  brethren 
in  Christ  Jesus.  But  yet  tlie  best  of  men  may  be  deceived, 
when  the  appearances  seem  to  them  exceeding  fair  and  bright, 
even  so  as  entirely  to  gain  their  charity,  and  conquer  their  hearts. 
It  has  been  a  common  thing  in  the  church  of  God,  for  such 
bright  professors,  that  are  received  as  eminent  saints,  among  the 
saints,  to  fall  away  and  come  to  nothiug.f     And  this  we  need  not 

rily  have  no  convictive  proofs,  but  only  probable  symptoms;  which  at  most 
beget  but  a  conjectural  knowlec%e  of  another's  state.  And  they  that  shall 
peremptorily  judge  either  way,  may  possibly  wrong  the  generation  of  the 
iiprigl)t,  or  on  the  other  side,  absolve  and  justify  the  wicked.  And  truly, 
considering  what  hath  been  said,  it  is  no  wonder  that  dangerous  mistakes  are 
sofrequently  made  in  this  matter."  Flavel's  Husbandrij  Spiritualized,  chap.  xii. 

I  "Be  not  offended,  if  you  see  great  cedars  fall,  stars  fall  from  heaven, 
great  professors  die  and  decay:  Do  not  think  they  be  all  such:  Do  not  tliink 
that  the  elect  sliall  fall.  Truly,  some  are  such  that  when  they  fall,  one 
would  think  a  man  truly  sanctified  might  fall  away,  as  the  Armenians  think, 
1  John  ii.  19.  They  -were  not  of  us.  I  speak  tliis,  because  the  Lord  is  shaking; 
and  I  look  for  great  apostacies:  For  God  is  trying  all  his  friends,  through  all 
the  christian  world.  In  Germany  what  profession  was  there!  who  would 
have  thougiit  it?  The  Lord,  who  delights  to  manifest  that  openly,  which 
was  hid  secretly,  sends  a  sword  and  they  fall."  Shcpard's  Parab.  Part.  L  p. 
118,  119. 

"  The  saints  may  approve  thee  and  God  condemn  thee.  Rev.  iii.  1.  "  Thou 
hast  a  name  that  thou  livest,  and  art  dead."  Men  may  say,  There  is  a  true 
Nathaniel;  and  God  may  say,  There  is  a  self-cozening  pliarisee.  Reader, 
thou  hast  heard  of  Judas  and  Demas,  of  Ananias  and  Sapphira,  of  Hymeneus 
and  Philetus,  once  renowned  and  famous  professors,  and  tliou  hast  heard 
how  they  proved  at  last."    Flavel's  Totichslonc  of  Sincerity,  Chap.  ii.  Sect.  5. 


114  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

wonder  at,  if  we  consider  the  things  that  have  been  already  ob- 
served; what  things  it  has  been  shown,  may  appear  in  men  who 
are  altogether  graceless.  Nothing  hinders  but  that  all  these 
things  may  meet  together  in  men,  and  yet  they  be  without  a  spark 
of  grace  in  their  hearts.  They  may  have  religious  affections  of 
many  kinds  together;  they  may  have  a  sort  of  affection  towards 
God,  that  bears  a  great  resemblance  of  dear  love  to  him;  and 
so  a  kind  of  love  to  the  brethren,  and  great  appearances  of  ad- 
miration of  God's  perfections  and  works,  and  sorrow  for  sin,  and 
reverence,  submission,  self-abasement,  gratitude,  joy,  religious 
longings,  and  zeal  for  religion  and  the  good  of  souls.  And  these 
affections  may  come  after  great  awakenings  and  convictions  of 
conscience;  and  there  may  be  great  appearances  of  a  work  of 
humiliation:  And  counterfeit  love  and  joy,  and  other  affections 
may  seem  to  follow  these,  and  one  another,  just  in  the  same  or- 
der that  is  commonly  observable  in  the  holy  affections  of  true 
converts.  And  these  religious  affections  may  be  carried  to  a 
great  height,  and  may  cause  abundance  of  tears,  yea,  may  over- 
come the  nature  of  those  who  are  the  subjects  of  them,  and  may 
make  them  affectionate,  and  fervent,  and  fluent  in  speaking  of 
the  things  of  God,  and  dispose  them  to  be  abundant  in  it;  and 
may  be  attended  with  many  sweet  texts  of  scripture,  and  precious 
promises,  brought  with  great  impression  on  their  minds;  and  may 
dispose  them  with  their  mouths  to  praise  and  glorify  God,  in  a 
very  ardent  manner,  and  fervently  to  call  upon  others  to  praise 
him,  crying  out  of  their  unworthiness,  and  extolling  free  grace. 
And  may,  moreover,  dispose  them  to  abound  in  the  external  du- 
ties of  religion,  such  as  prayer,  hearing  the  word  preached,  sing- 
ing, and  religious  conference;  and  these  tilings  attended  with  a 
great  resemblance  of  a  christian  assurance,  in  its  greatest  height, 
when  the  saints  mount  on  eagles'  wings,  above  all  darkness  and 
doubting.  I  think  it  has  been  made  plain,  that  there  may  be  all 
these  things,  and  yet  there  be  nothing  more  than  the  common  in- 
fluences of  the  Spirit  of  God,  joined  with  the  delusions  of  Satan, 
and  the  wicked  and  deceitful  heart.  To  which  I  may  add,  that 
all  these  things  may  be  attended  with  a  sweet  natural  temper, 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  115 

and  a  good  doctrinal  knowledge  of  religion,  and  a  long  acquaint- 
ance with  the  saints'  way  of  talking,  and  of  expressing  their  af- 
fections and  experiences,  and  a  natural  ability  and  subtilty  in 
accommodating  their  expressions  and  manner  of  speaking  to  the 
dispositions  and  notions  of  the  hearers,  and  a  taking  decency  of 
expression  and  behaviour,  formed  by  a  good  education.  How 
great  therefore  may  the  resemblance  be,  as  to  all  outward  ex- 
pressions and  appearances,  between  a  hypocrite  and  a  true  saint! 
Doubtless  it  is  the  glorious  prerogative  of  the  omniscient  God,  as 
the  great  searcher  of  hearts,  to  be  able  well  to  separate  between 
sheep  and  goats.  And  what  an  indecent,  self-exaltation,  and  ar- 
rogance it  is  in  poor,  fallible,  dark  mortals,  to  pretend  that  they 
can  determine  and  know,  who  are  really  sincere  and  upright  be- 
fore God,  and  who  are  not? 

Many  seem  to  lay  great  weight  on  that,  and  to  suppose  it  to  be 
what  may  determine  them  with  respect  to  others'  real  piety, 
when  they  not  only  tell  a  plausible  story,  but  when,  in  giving  an 
account  of  their  experiences,  they  make  such  a  representation, 
and  speak  after  such  k  manner,  that  they  feel  their  talk;  that  is 
to  say,  when  their  talk  seems  to  harmonize  with  their  own  ex- 
perience, and  their  hearts  are  touched  and  affected  and  delight- 
ed by  what  they  hear  them  say,  and  drawn  out  by  it,  in  dear 
love  to  them.  But  there  is  not  that  certainty  in  such  things,  and 
that  full  dependence  to  be  had  upon  them,  which  many  imagine. 
A  true  saint  greatly  delights  in  holiness;  it  is  a  most  beautiful 
thing  in  his  eyes;  and  God's  work,  in  savingly  renewing  and 
making  holy  and  happy  a  poor  and  before  perishing  soul,  ap- 
pears to  him  a  most  glorious  work:  No  wonder,  therefore,  that 
his  heart  is  touched  and  greatly  affected,  when  he  hears  another 
give  a  probable  account  of  this  work  wrought  on  his  own  heart, 
and  when  he  sees  in  him  probable  appearances  of  holiness; 
whether  those  pleasing  appearances  have  any  thing  real  to  answer 
them  or  not.  And  if  he  uses  the  same  words,  which  are  com- 
monly made  use  of,  to  express  the  affections  of  true  saints,  and 
tells  of  many  things  following  one  another  in  an  order  agreeable 
to  the  method  of  the  experience  of  him  that  bears  him,  and  also 
p 


116  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

speaks  freely  and  boldly  and  with  an  air  of  assurance;  no  won- 
der the  other  thinks  his  experiences  harmonize  with  his  own. 
And  if,  besides  all  this,  in  giving  his  relation,  he  speaks  with 
much  affection;  and,  above  all,  if  in  speaking  he  seems  to  show 
much  affection  to  him  to  whom  he  speaks,  such  an  affection  as 
the  Galatians  did  to  the  apostle  Paul,  these  things  will  natural- 
ly have  a  powerful  influence  to  affect  and  draw  his  hearer's 
heart,  and  open  wide  the  doors  of  his  charity  towards  him.  Da- 
vid speaks  as  one  who  had  felt  Ahithophel's  talk,  and  had  once  a 
sweet  savour  and  relish  of  it.  And  therefore  exceeding  great  was 
his  surprise  and  disappointment  when  he  fell;  it  was  almost  too 
much  for  him,  Psal.  Iv.  12,  13,  14.  "  It  was  not  an  enemy — 
then  I  could  have  borne  it;  but  it  was  thou,  a  man,  mine  equal, 
my  guide,  and  mine  acquaintance.  We  took  sweet  counsel  to- 
gether, and  walked  unto  the  house  of  God  in  company." 

It  is  with  professors  of  religion,  especially  such  as  become  so 
in  a  time  of  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  as  it  is  with  blossoms 
in  the  spring;!  there  are  vast  numbers  of  them  upon  the  trees, 
which  all  look  fair  and  promising,  but  yet  many  of  them  never 
come  to  any  thing.  And  many  of  those  that  in  a  little  time 
wither  up,  and  drop  off,  and  rot  under  the  trees,  yet  for  awhile 
look  as  beautiful  and  gay  as  others;  and  not  only  so,  but  smell 
sweet  and  send  forth  a  pleasant  odour;  so  we  can  not,  by  any  of 
our  senses,  certainly  distinguish  those  blossoms  which  have  in 
them  that  secret  virtue  which  will  afterwards  appear  in  the  fruit, 
and  that  inward  solidity  and  strength  which  shall  enable  them  to 
bear,  and  cause  them  to  be  perfected  by  the  hot  summer  sun, 
that  will  dry  up  the  others.  It  is  the  mature  fruit  which  comes  after- 
wards, and  not  the  beautiful  colours  and  smell  of  the  blossoms  that 
we  must  judge  by.  So  new  converts  (professedly  so)  in  their  talk 
about  things  of  religion,  may  appear  fair,  and  be  very  savoury, 
and  the  saints  may  think  they  talk  feelingly.     They  may  relish 

■\  A  time  of  outpouring  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  reviving  religion  and  produ- 
cing the  pleasant  appearances  of  it,  in  new  converts,  is  in  scripture  compa- 
red to  this  very  thing,  viz.  the  spring  season,  when  the  benign  influence  ot 
the  heavens  causes  the  blossoms  to  put  forth.     Cant.  ii.  11,  12. 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  117 

their  talk,  and  imagine  they  perceive  a  divine  savour  in  it,  and 
yet  all  may  come  to  nothing. 

It  is  strange  how  hardly  men  are  brought  to  be  contented  with 
the  rules  and  directions  Christ  has  given  them,  but  they  must 
needs  go  by  other  rules  of  their  own  inventing,  that  seem  to  them 
wiser  and  better.  I  know  of  no  directions  or  counsels  which  Christ 
ever  delivered  more  plainly  than  the  rules  he  has  given  us  to  guide 
us  in  our  judging  of  others'  sincerity,  viz.  that  we  should  judge  of 
the  tree  chiefly  by  the  fruit.  But  yet  this  will  not  do;  but  other 
ways  are  found  out,  which  are  imagined  to  be  more  distinguish- 
ing and  certain.  And  woful  have  been  the  mischievous  conse- 
quences of  this  arrogant  setting  up  mens  wisdom  above  the  wis- 
dom of  Christ.  I  believe  many  saints  have  gone  much  out  of  the 
way  of  Christ's  word  in  this  respect:  and  some  of  them  have 
been  chastised  with  whips,  and  (I  had  almost  said)  scorpions,  to 
bring  them  back  again.  But  many  things  which  have  lately  ap- 
peared, and  do  now  appear,  may  convince,  that  ordinarily  those 
who  have  gone  farthest  this  way,  that  have  been  most  high- 
ly conceited  of  their  faculty  of  discerning,  and  have  appeared 
most  forward,  peremptorily  and  suddenly  to  determine  the  state 
of  mens  souls,  have  been  hypocrites,  who  have  nothing  of  true 
religion. 

In  the  parable  of  the  wheat  and  tares,  it  is  said.  Mat.  xiii.  26, 
"  When  the  blade  was  sprung  up  and  brought  forth  fruit,  then 
appeared  the  tares  also."  As  though  the  tares  were  not  discern- 
ed nor  distinguishable  from  the  wheat  until  then,  as  Mr,  Flavelf 
observes,  who  mentions  it  as  an  observation  of  Jerome's,  that 
"  wheat  and  tares  are  so  much  alike,  until  the  blade  of  the  wheat 
comes  to  bring  forth  the  ear,  that  it  is  next  to  impossible  to  dis- 
tinguish them."  And  then  Mr.  Flavel  adds,  "  How  difficult 
soever  it  be  to  discern  the  difference  between  wheat  and  tares; 
yet  doubtless  the  eye  of  sense  can  much  easier  discriminate  them, 
than  the  most  quick  and  piercing  eye  of  man  can  discern  the  dif- 
ference between  special  and  common  grace.     For   all  saving 

■j-  Husbandry  Spiritualized,  chap.  xii. 


1 18  IVHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

graces  in  the  saints  have  their  counterfeits  in  hypocrites;  there 
are  similar  works  in  those,  which  a  spiritual  and  very  judicious 
eye  may  easily  mistake  for  the  saving  and  genuine  effects  of  a 
sanctifying  spirit." 

As  it  is  the  ear  or  the  fruit  which  distinguishes  the  wheat  from 
the  tares,  so  this  is  the  true  Shibboleth,  that  he  who  stands  as 
judge  at  the  passages  of  Jordan,  makes  use  of  to  distinguish  those 
that  shall  pass  over  Jordan  into  the  true  Canaan,  from  those  that 
should  be  slain  at  the  passages.  For  the  Hebrew  word  Shibbo- 
leth Mgnifies  an  ear  of  corn.  And  perhaps  the  more  full  pronun- 
^,.  ciation  of  Jephthah's  friends.  Shibboleth  may  represent  a  full  ear 
with  fruit  in  it,  typifying  the  fruits  of  the  friends  of  Christ,  the 
antitype  of  Jephthah;  and  the  more  lean  pronunciation  of  the 
Ephraimites,  his  enemies,  may  represent  their  empty  ears,  typi- 
fying the  show  of  religion  in  hypocrites,  without  substance  and 
fruit.  This  is  agreeable  to  the  doctrine  we  are  abundantly  taught 
in  scripture,  viz.  That  he  who  is  set  to  judge  those  that  pass 
throug-li  death,  whether  they  have  a  right  to  enter  into  the  hea- 
venly Canaan  or  not,  or  whether  they  should  not  be  slain,  will 
judge  every  man  according  to  his  works. 

We  seem  to  be  taught  the  same  things  by  the  rules  given  for 
the  priest's  discerning  the  leprosy.  In  many  cases  it  was  impos- 
sible for  the  priest  to  determine  whether  a  man  had  the  leprosy, 
or  whether  he  were  clean,  by  the  most  narrow  inspection  of  the 
appearances  that  were  upon  him,  until  he  had  waited  to  see  what 
the  appearances  would  come  to,  and  had  shut  up  the  person  who 
had  showed  himself  to  him,  one  seven  days  after  another;  and 
when  he  judged,  he  was  to  determine  by  the  hair  which  grew  out 
of  the  spot  that  was  showed  him,  which  was  as  it  were  the  fruit 
that  it  brought  forth. 

And  here,  before  I  finish  what  I  have  to  say  under  this  head,  I 
would  say  something  to  a  strange  notion  some  have  of  late  been  led 
away  with,  of  certainly  knowing  the  good  estate  that  others  are  in, 
as  though  it  were  immediately  revealed  to  them  from  heaven,  by 
their  love  flowing  out  to  them  in  an  extraordinary  manner.  They 
argue  thus,  that  their  love  being  very  sensible  aud  great,  it  may  be 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  1 1 9 

certainly  known  by  them  who  feel  it,  to  be  a  true  christian  love; 
And  if  it  be  a  true  christian  love,  the  Spirit  of  God  must  be  the 
author  of  it:  And  inasmuch  as  the  Spirit  of  God  who  knows  cer- 
tainly whether  others  are  the  children  of  God  or  not,  and  is  a 
spirit  of  truth,  is  pleased  by  an  uncommon  influence  upon  them, 
to  cause  their  love  to  flow  out,  in  an  extraordinary  manner,  to- 
wards such  a  person  as  a  child  of  God;  it  must  needs  be  that  this  in- 
fallible Spirit  who  deceives  none,  knows  that  that  person  is  a  child 
of  God.  But  such  persons  might  be  convinced  of  the  falseness 
of  their  reasoning,  if  they  would  consider  whether  or  no  it  be  not 
their  duty,  and  what  God  requires  of  them,  to  love  those  as  the 
children  of  God  who  they  think  are  the  children  of  God,  and  whom 
they  have  reason  to  think  otherwise  of,  from  all  that  they  can  see 
in  them,  though  God,  who  searches  the  hearts,  knows  them  not  to 
be  his  children. 

If  it  be  their  duty,  then  it  is  good,  and  the  want  of  it  sin;  and 
therefore  surely  the  Spirit  of  God  may  be  the  author  of  it:  the 
Spirit  of  God,  without  being  a  spirit  of  falsehood,  may  in  such  a 
case  assist  a  person  to  do  his  duty  and  keep  him  from  sin.  But 
then  they  argue  from  the  uncommon  degree  and  special  manner 
in  which  their  love  flows  out  to  the  person,  which  they  think  the 
Spirit  of  God  never  would  cause,  if  he  did  not  know  the  object 
to  be  a  child  of  God.  But  then  I  would  ask  them  whether  or  no 
it  is  not  their  duty  to  love  all  such  as  they  are  bound  to  think  are 
the  children  of  God,  from  all  that  they  can  see  in  them,  to  a  very 
great  degree,  though  God,  from  other  things  which  he  sees  that 
are  out  of  sight  to  them,  knows  them  not  to  be  so.  It  is  mens 
duty  to  love  all  whom  they  are  bound  in  charity  to  look  upon  as 
the  children  of  God,  with  a  vastly  dearer  affection  than  they  com- 
monly do.  As  we  ought  to  love  Christ  to  the  utmost  capacity  of 
our  nature,  so  it  is  our  duty  to  love  those  who  we  think  are  as 
near  and  dear  to  him  as  his  members,  with  an  exceeding  dear  af- 
fection, as  Christ  has  loved  us;  and  therefore  it  is  sin  in  us  not  to 
love  them  so.  We  ought  to  pray  to  God  that  he  would  by  his 
Spirit  keep  us  from  sin,  and  enable  us  to  do  our  duty:  and  may  not 
his  Spirit  answer  our  prayers,  and  enable  us  to  do  our  duty,  in  a  par- 


J 20  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS 

ticular  instance  without  lying?  If  he  can  not,  then  the  Spirit  of 
God  is  bound  not  to  help  his  people  to  do  their  duty  in  some  in- 
stances, because  he  can  not  do  it  without  being  a  spirit  of  false- 
hood. But  surely  God  is  so  sovereign  that  he  may  enable  us  to 
do  our  duty  when  he  pleases,  and  on  what  occasion  he  pleases. 
When  persons  think  others  are  his  children,  God  may  have  other 
ends  in  causing  their  exceedingly  endeared  love  to  flow  out  to 
them,  besides  revealing  to  them  whether  their  opinion  of  them  be 
right  or  not:  he  may  have  that  merciful  end  in  it,  to  enable  them 
to  know  their  duty,  and  to  keep  them  from  that  dreadful  infinite 
evil,  sin.  And  will  they  say  God  shall  not  show  them  that  mer- 
cy in  such  a  case.''  If  I  am  at  a  distance  from  home,  and  hear 
that  in  my  absence  my  house  is  burnt,  but  my  family  have,  in 
some  extraordinary  manner,  all  escaped  the  flames;  and  every 
thing  in  the  circumstances  of  the  story,  as  I  hear  it,  makes  it  ap- 
pear very  credible,  it  would  be  sin  in  me,  in  such  a  case,  not  to 
feel  a  very  great  degree  of  gratitude  to  God,  though  the  story  in- 
deed be  not  true.  And  is  not  God  so  sovereign  that  he  may,  if 
he  pleases,  show  me  that  mercy  on  that  occasion,  and  enable  me 
to  do  my  duty  in  a  much  further  degree  than  I  used  to  do  it,  and 
yet  not  incur  the  charge  of  deceitfulness  in  confirming  a  falsehood? 

It  is  exceeding  manifest  that  error  or  mistake  may  be  the  oc- 
casion of  a  gi-acious  exercise,  and  consequently  a  gracious  influence 
of  the  Spirit  of  God,  by  Rom.  xiv.  6,  "  He  that  eateth  to  the 
Lord,  he  eateth  and  giveth  God  thanks;  and  he  that  eateth  not  to 
the  Lord,  he  eateth  not  and  giveth  God  thanks!"  The  apostle  is 
speaking  of  those  who,  through  erroneous  and  needless  scruples, 
avoided  eating  legally  unclean  meats.  By  this  it  is  very  evident 
that  there  may  be  true  exercises  of  grace,  a  true  respect  to  the 
Lord,  and  particularly,  a  true  thankfulness,  which  may  be  occa- 
sioned both  by  an  erroneous  judgment  and  practice.  And  conse- 
quently, an  error  may  be  the  occasion  of  those  truly  holy  exercises 
that  are  from  the  infallible  Spirit  of  God:  and  if  so,  it  is  certainly 
too  much  for  us  to  determine  to  how  great  a  degree  the  Spirit  of 
God  may  give  this  holy  exercise,  on  such  an  occasion. 

This  notion  of  certainly  discerning  another's  state,  by  love 


TO  DISTINGUISH  AFFECTIONS.  121 

flowing  out,  is  not  only  not  founded  on  reason  or  scripture,  but 
it  is  antiscriptural,  it  is  against  the  rules  of  scripture,  which  say 
not  a  word  of  any  such  way  of  judging  the  state  of  others  as  this, 
hut  direct  us  to  judge  chiefly  by  the  fruits  that  are  seen  in  them. 
And  it  is  against  the  doctrines  of  scripture,  which  do  plainly 
teach  us,  that  the  state  of  others'  souls  towards  God  can  not  be 
known  by  us,  as  in  Rev.  ii.  17.  "  To  him  that  overcometh  will 
I  give  to  eat  of  the  hidden  manna,  and  I  will  give  him  a  white 
stone,  and  in  the  stone  a  new  name  written,  which  no  man  know- 
eth  saving  he  that  receiveth  it."  And  Rom,  ii.  29.  "  He  is  a 
Jew  which  is  one  inwardly;  and  circumcision  is  that  of  the  heart, 
in  the  spirit,  and  not  in  the  letter,  whose  praise  is  not  of  men, 
but  of  God."  That  by  this  last  expression,  "  whose  praise  is  not 
of  men,  but  of  God,"  the  apostle  has  respect  to  the  insufficiency 
of  men  to  judge  concerning  him,  whether  he  be  inwardly  a  Jew 
or  not  (as  they  could  easily  see  by  outward  marks  whether  men 
were  outwardly  Jews)  and  would  signify  that  it  belongs  to  God 
alone  to  give  a  determining  voice  in  this  matter,  is  confirmed  by 
the  same  apostle's  use  of  the  phrase,  in  1  Cor.  iv.  5.  "  There- 
fore judge  nothing  before  the  time,  until  the  Lord  come,  who  both 
will  bring  to  light  the  hidden  things  of  darkness,  and  will  make 
manifest  the  counsels  of  the  heart:"  and  then  shall  every  man  praise 
God.  The  apostle  in  the  two  foregoing  verses,  says,  "  But  with 
me  it  is  a  very  small  thing  that  I  should  be  judged  of  you,  or  of 
man's  judgment:  yea,  I  judge  not  mine  own  self.  For  I  know 
nothing  by  myself,  yet  am  I  not  hereby  justified;  but  he  that  judg- 
eth  me  is  the  Lord."  And  again,  it  is  further  confirmed,  because 
the  apostle,  in  this  second  chapter  to  the  Romans,  directs  his 
speech  especially  to  those  who  had  a  high  conceit  of  their  own 
holiness,  made  their  boast  of  God,  and'  were  confident  of  their 
own  discerning,  and  that  they  knew  God's  will,  and  approved 
the  things  which  were  excellent,  or  tried  the  things  that  differ  (as 
it  is  in  the  margin)  ver.  19;  "And  were  confident  that  they  were 
guides  of  the  blind,  and  a  light  to  them  which  are  in  darkness,  in- 
structors of  the  foolish,  teachers  of  babes;  and  so  took  upon  them 
lo  judge  others."  See  ver.  1,  and  17,  18,  19,  20. 


1-22  WHAT  ARE  NO  SIGNS  &C. 

And  how  arrogant  must  the  notion  be,  that  they  have,  who  im- 
agine that  they  can  certainly  know  others'  godliness,  when  that 
great  apostle,  Peter,  pretends  not  to  say  any  more  concerning  Syl- 
vanus,  than  that  he  was  a  faithful  brother,  as  he  supposed !  1  Pet. 
V.  12.  Though  this  Sylvanus  appears  to  have  been  a  very  emi- 
nent minister  of  Christ,  and  an  evangelist,  and  a  famous  light  in 
God's  church  at  that  day,  and  an  intimate  companion  of  the  apos- 
tles.    See  2  Cor.  i.  19;  1  Thess.  i.  1,  and  2  Thess.  i.  1. 


(;;ONCERNING  SIGNS  &c.  123 


PART  III. 

SHOWING  WHAT  ARE  DISTINGUISHING  SIGNS  OF  TRULY   GRACIOUS 
AND  HOLY  AFFECTIONS, 

I  COME  now  to  the  second  thing  appertaining  to  the  trial  of  re- 
ligious affections,  which  was  proposed,  viz.  To  take  notice  of 
some  things  wherein  those  affections  that  are  spiritual  and  gra- 
cious do  differ  from  those  that  are  not  so. 

But  before  I  proceed  directly  to  the  distinguishing  characters, 
I  would  previously  mention  some  tilings  which  I  desire  may  be 
observed  concerning  the  marks  I  shall  lay  down. 

1 .  That  I  am  far  from  undertaking  to  give  such  signs  of  gra- 
cious affections,  as  shall  be  sufficient  to  enable  any  certainly  to 
distinguish  true  affection  from  false  in  others;  or  to  determine 
positively  which  of  their  neighbours  are  true  professors  and 
which  are  hypocrites.  In  so  doing,  I  should  be  guilty  of  that 
arrogance  which  I  have  been  condemning.  Though  it  be  plain 
that  Christ  has  given  rules  to  all  Christians,  to  enable  them  to 
judge  of  professors  of  religion,  whom  they  are  concerned  with, 
so  far  as  is  necessary  for  their  own  safety,  and  to  prevent  their 
being  led  into  a  snare  by  false  teachers  and  false  pretenders  to 
religion;  and  though  it  be  also  beyond  doubt,  that  the  scriptures 
do  abound  with  rules,  which  may  be  very  serviceable  to  ministers, 
in  counselling  and  conducting  souls  committed  to  their  care,  in 
things  appertaining  to  their  spiritual  and  eternal  state;  yet  it  is 
also  evident,  that  it  was  never  God's  design  to  give  us  any  rules, 
by  which  we  may  certainly  know  who  of  our  fellow  professors 
are  his,  and  to  make  a  full  and  clear  separation  between  sheep 
and  goats;  but  that,  on  the  contrary,  it  was  God's  design  to  re- 
serve this  to  himself  as  his  prerogative.  And  therefore  no  such 
distinguishing  signs  as  shall  enable  Christians  or  ministers  to  do 
this,  are  ever  to  be  expected  to  the  world's  end.  For  no  more 
Q 


134  CONCERNING    SIGNS    OF 

is  ever  to  be  expected  from  any  signs,  that  are  to  be  found  in  tlie 
word  of  God,  or  gathered  from  it,  than  Christ  designed  them  for. 

2.  No  such  signs  are  to  be  expected,  that  shall  be  sufficient  to 
enable  those  saints  certainly  to  discern  their  own  good  estate, 
who  are  very  low  in  grace,  or  are  such  as  have  much  departed 
from  God,  and  are  fallen  into  a  dead,  carnal,  and  unchristian 
frame.  It  is  not  agreeable  to  God's  design,  (as  has  been  alrea- 
dy observed)  that  such  should  know  their  good  estate  :  nor  is  it 
desirable  that  they  should;  but,  on  the  contrary,  every  way  best 
that  they  should  not;  and  we  have  reason  to  bless  God,  that  he 
has  made  no  provision  that  such  should  certainly  know  the  state 
that  they  are  in,  any  other  way  than  by  first  coming  out  of  the 
ill  frame  and  way  they  are  in.  Indeed  it  is  not  properly  through 
the  defect  of  the  signs  given  in  the  word  of  God,  that  every  saint 
living,  whether  strong  or  weak,  and  those  who  are  in  a  bad  frame, 
as  well  as  others,  can  not  certainly  know  their  good  estate  by 
them.  For  the  rules  in  themselves  are  certain  and  infallible, 
and  every  saint  has,  or  has  had  those  things  in  himself,  which 
are  sure  evidences  of  grace;  for  every,  even  the  least  act  of  grace 
is  so.  But  it  is  through  his  defect  to  whom  the  signs  are  given. 
There  is  a  twofold  defect  in  that  saint  who  is  very  low  in  grace, 
or  in  an  ill  frame,  which  makes  it  impossible  for  him  to  know 
certainly  that  he  has  true  grace,  by  the  best  signs  and  rules  which 
can  be  given  him.  First,  a  defect  in  the  object,  or  the  qualifi- 
cation to  be  viewed  and  examined.  I  do  not  mean  an  essential 
defect;  because  I  suppose  the  person  to  be  a  real  saint;  but  a  de- 
fect in  degree:  grace  being  very  small,  can  not  be  clearly  and 
certainly  discerned  and  distinguished. 

Things  that  are  very  small,  we  can  not  clearly  discern  their 
form,  or  distinguish  them  one  from  another;  though  as  they  are 
in  themselves,  their  form  may  be  very  different.  There  is  doubt- 
less a  great  difference  between  the  body  of  man,  and  the  bodies 
of  other  animals,  in  the  first  conception  in  the  womb:  but  yet 
if  we  should  view  the  different  embryos,  it  might  not  be  possible 
for  us  to  discern  the  difference,  by  reason  of  the  imperfect  state 
of  the  object;  but  as  it  comes  to  greater  perfection,  the  difier- 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  125 

cnce  becomes  very  plain.  The  difference  between  creatures  of 
very  contrary  qualities,  is  not  so  plainly  to  be  seen  while  they 
are  very  young;  even  after  they  are  actually  brought  forth,  as  in 
their  more  perfect  state.  The  difference  between  doves  and  ra- 
ven^, or  doves  and  vultures,  when  they  first  come  out  of  the  egg, 
is  not  so  evident;  but  as  they  grow  to  their  perfection,  it  is  ex- 
ceeding great  and  manifest.  Another  defect  attending  the  grace 
of  those  I  am  speaking  of  is  its  being  mingled  with  so  much  cor- 
ruption, which  clouds  and  hides  it,  and  makes  it  impossible  for  it 
certainly  to  be  known.  Though  different  things  that  are  before  us, 
may  have  in  themselves  many  marks  thoroughly  distinguishing 
them  one  from  another;  yet  if  we  see  them  only  in  a  thick  smoke, 
it  may  nevertheless  be  impossible  to  distinguish  them.  A  fixed  star 
is  easily  distinguishable  from  a  comet,  in  a  clear  sky;  but  if  we 
view  them  through  a  cloud,  it  may  be  impossible  to  see  the  dif- 
ference. When  true  Christians  are  in  an  ill  frame,  guilt  lies  on 
the  conscience,  which  will  bring  fear,  and  so  prevent  the  peace 
and  joy  of  an  assured  hope. 

Secondly.  There  is  in  such  a  case  a  defect  in  the  eye.  As  the 
feebleness  of  grace  and  prevalence  of  corruption  obscures  the 
object,  so  it  enfeebles  the  sight;  it  darkens  the  sight  as  to  all 
spiritual  objects,  of  which  grace  is  one.  Sin  is  like  some  dis- 
tempers of  the  eyes,  that  make  things  to  appear  of  different  co- 
lours from  those  which  properly  belong  to  them,  and  like  many 
other  distempers,  that  put  the  mouth  out  of  taste  so  as  to  disen- 
able it  from  distinguishing  good  and  wholesome  food  from  bad, 
but  every  thing  tastes  bitter. 

Men  in  a  corrupt  and  carnal  frame  have  t  heir  spiritual  senses 
in  but  poor  plight  for  judging  and  distinguishing  spiritual  things. 

For  these  reasons  no  signs  that  can  be  given,  will  actually  sa- 
tisfy persons  in  such  a  case:  let  the  signs  that  are  given  be  ne- 
ver so  good  and  infallible,  and  clearly  laid  down,  they  will  not 
serve  them.  It  is  like  giving  a  man  rules  how  to  distinguish 
visible  objects  in  the  dark;  the  things  themselves  may  be  very 
different,  and  their  difference  may  be  very  well  and  distinctly 
described  to  him;  yet  all  is  insufficient  to  enable  him  to  distin- 


126  CONCERNING    SIGNS    OF 

guish  them,  because  he  is  in  the  dark.  And  therefore  manv  per- 
sons in  such  a  case  spend  time  in  a  fruitless  labour,  in  poring  on 
past  experiences,  and  examining  themselves  by  signs  they  heir  laid 
doivn  from  the  pulpit,  or  that  they  read  in  books;  when  there  is 
other  work  for  them  to  do,  that  is  much  more  expected  of  them; 
whiph,  while  they  neglect,  all  their  self-examinations  are  like  to 
be  in  vain  if  they  should  spend  never  so  much  time  in  them. 
The  accursed  thing  is  to  be  destroyed  from  their  camp,  and  Achan 
to  be  slain;  and  until  this  be  done  they  will  be  in  trouble.  It  is 
not  God's  design  that  men  should  obtain  assurance  in  any  other 
way  than  by  mortifying  corruption,  and  increasing  in  grace,  and 
obtaining  the  lively  exercises  of  it.  And  although  self-examina- 
tion be  a  duty  of  great  use  and  importance,  and  by  no  means  to 
be  neglected;  yet  it  is  not  the  principal  means  by  which  the 
saints  do  get  satisfaction  of  their  good  estate.  Assurance  is  not 
to  be  obtained  so  much  by  self-examination,  as  by  action.  The 
apostle  Paul  sought  assurance  chiefly  this  way,  even  by  "  for- 
getting the  things  that  were  behind,  and  reaching  forth  unto  those 
things  that  Avere  before,  pressing  towards  the  mark  for  the  prize 
of  the  high  calling  of  God  in  Christ  Jesus;  if  by  any  means  he 
might  attain  unto  the  resurrection  of  the  dead."  And  it  was  by 
this  means  chiefly  that  he  obtained  assurance,  1  Cor.  ix.  26,  "  I 
therefore  so  run,  not  as  uncertainly."  He  obtained  assurance  of 
winning  the  prize,  more  by  running  than  by  considering.  The 
swiftness  of  his  pace  did  more  towards  his  assurance  of  a  con- 
quest, than  the  strictness  of  his  examination.  Giving  all  dili- 
gence to  grow  in  grace,  by  adding  to  faith  virtue,  &c.  is  the  di- 
rection that  the  apostle  Peter  gives  us,  for  "  making  our  calling 
and  election  sure,  and  having  an  entrance  ministered  to  us  abun- 
dantly in  Christ's  everlasting  kingdom;"  signifying  to  us,  that 
without  this  our  eyes  will  be  dim,  and  we  shall  be  as  men  in  the 
dark,  that  can  not  plainly  see  things  past  or  to  come,  either  the 
forgiveness  of  our  sins  past,  or  our  heavenly  inheritance  that  is 
future  and  far  off,  2  Pet.  i.  5— ll.f 

■}•  The  way  to  know  your  godliness,  is  to  renew  the  visible  exercises  of 
grace.— The  more  the  visible  exercises  of  grace  are  renewed,  the  more 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  127 

Therefore,  though  good  rules  to  distinguish  true  grace*  from 
counterfeit,  may  tend  to  convince  hypocrites  and  be  of  great  use 
to  the  saints  in  many  respecis,  and  among  other  benefits  may  be 
very  useful  to  them  to  remove  many  needless  scruples  and  esta- 
blish their  hope;  yet  I  am  far  from  pretending  to  lay  down  any 
such  rules,  as  shall  be  sufficient  of  themselves  without  other 
means,  to  enable  all  true  saints  to  see  their  good  estate,  or  as  sup- 
posing they  should  be  the  principal  means  of  their  satisfaction. 

3.  Nor  is  there  much  encouragement  in  the  experience  of  ]>re- 
sent  or  past  times,  to  lay  down  rules  or  marks  to  distinguish  be- 
tween true  and  false  affections,  in  hopes  of  convincing  any  con- 
siderable number  of  that  sort  of  hypocrites,  who  have  been  de- 
ceived with  great  false  discoveries  and  affections,  and  are  once 
settled  in  a  false  confidence  and  high  conceit  of  their  own  sup- 
posed great  experiences  and  privileges.  Such  hypocrites  are  so 
conceited  of  their  own  wisdom,  and  so  blinded  and  hardened 
with  a  very  great  self-righteousness  (but  very  subtle  and  secret, 
under  the  disguise  of  great  humibty)  and  so  invincible  a  fond- 
ness of  their  pleasing  conceit  of  their  great  exaltation,  that  it 
usually  signifies  nothing  at  all  to  lay  before  them  the  most  con- 
vincing evidences  of  their  hypocrisy.  Their  state  is  indeed  de- 
plorable, and  next  to  those  that  have  committed  the  unpardona- 
ble sin.  Some  of  this  sort  of  persons  seem  to  be  most  out  of  the 
reach  of  means  of  conviction  and  repentance.  But  yet  the  laying 
down  good  rules  may  be  a  means  of  preventing  such  hypocrites, 
and  of  convincing  many  of  other  kinds  of  hypocrites;  and  God  is 
able  to  convince  even  this  kind,  and  bis  grace  is  not  to  be  limit- 
ed, nor  means  to  be  neglected.  And  besides  such  rules  may  be 
of  use  to  the  true  saints,  to  detect  false  affections,  which  they 
may  have  mingled  with  true;  and  be  a  means  of  their  religion's 
becoming  more  pure,  and  like  gold  tried  in  the  fire. 

certain  you  will  be.     The  more  frequently  these  actings  are  renewed,  the 
more  abiding  and  confirmed  your  assurance  will  be. 

The  more  mens  grace  is  multiplied,  the  more  their  peace  is  multiplied; 
2  Pet.  i.  2.  "Grace  and  peace  be  multiplied  unto  you,  through  the  know- 
ledge of  God  and  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord."  StoddariFs  Way  to  hnoiv  Sincerity 
and  Hypocrisy,  p.  139  and  142. 


128  FIRST    SIGN    OF 

Having  premised  these  things,  I  now  proceed  directly  to  take 
notice  of  those  things  in  which  true  religious  affections  are  dis- 
tinguished from  false. 

I.  Affections  that  are  truly  spiritual  and  gracious,  do  arise  from 
those  influences  and  operations  on  the  heart,  which  are  spiritual, 
supernatural  and  divine. 

I  will  explain  what  I  mean  by  these  terms,  whence  will  ap- 
pear tlieir  use  to  distinguish  between  those  affections  which  are 
spii'itual,  and  those  which  are  not  so. 

We  find  that  true  saints,  or  those  persons  who  are  sanctified 
by  the  Spirit  of  God,  are  in  the  New  Testament  called  spiritual 
persons.  And  their  being  spiritual  is  spoken  of  as  their  peculiar 
character,  and  that  wherein  they  are  distinguished  from  those 
who  are  not  sanctified.  This  is  evident,  because  those  who  are 
spiritual  are  set  in  opposition  to  natural  men  and  carnal  men. 
Thus  the  spiritual  man  and  the  natural  man  are  set  in  opposition 
one  to  another,  1  Cor.  ii.  14,  15,  "The  natural  man  receiveth 
not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God;  for  they  are  foolishness  unto 
him;  neither  can  he  know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually  dis- 
cerned. But  he  that  is  spiritual  judgeth  all  things."  The  scrip- 
ture explains  itself  to  mean  an  ungodly  man,  or  one  that  has  no 
grace,  by  a  natural  man.  Thus  the  apostle  Jude,  speaking  of 
certain  ungodly  men  that  had  crept  in  unawares  among  the 
saints,  ver.  4,  of  his  epistle,  says,  v.  1 9,  "  These  are  sensual, 
having  not  the  Spirit."  This  the  apostle  gives  us  as  a  reason  why 
they  behaved  themselves  in  such  a  wicked  manner  as  he  had  de- 
scribed. Here  the  word  translated  sensual^  in  the  original  is 
Psychikoi;  which  is  the  very  same,  which  in  those  verses  in  1 
Cor.  chap.  ii.  is  translated  natural.  In  the  like  manner,  in  the 
continuation  of  the  same  discourse,  in  the  next  verse  but  one, 
spiritual  men  are  opposed  to  carnal  men;  which  the  connexion 
plainly  shows  means  the  same,  as  spiritual  men  and  natural  men, 
in  the  foregoing  verses;  "And  I,  brethren,  could  not  speak  unto 
you  as  unto  spiritual,  but  as  unto  carnal;"  i.  e.  as  in  a  great 
measure  unsanctified.  That  by  carnal  the  apostle  means  corrupt 
and  unsanctified,  is  abundantly  evident,  by  Rom.  vii,  25,  and 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  129 

viii.  1,  4,  5,  6,  7,  8,  9,  12,  13.  Gal.  v.  16,  to  the  end.  Col.  il. 
18.  Now  therefore,  if  by  natural  and  carnal,  in  these  texts,  he 
intended  unsanctified,  then  doubtless  by  spiritual,  which  is  op- 
posed thereto,  is  meant  sanctified  and  gracious. 

And  as  the  saints  are  called  spiritual  in  scripture,  so  we  also 
find  that  there  are  certain  properties,  qualities  and  principles,  that 
have  the  same  epithet  given  them.  So  we  read  of  a  "  spiritual 
mind,"  Rom.  viii,  6,  7,  and  of  "  spiritual  wisdom,"  Col.  i.  9, 
and  of"  spiritual  blessings,"  Eph.  i.  3. 

Now  it  may  be  observed  that  the  epithet  spiritual,  in  these  and 
other  parallel  texts  of  the  New  Testament,  is  not  used  to  signify 
any  relation  of  persons  or  things  to  the  spirit  or  soul  of  man,  as  the 
spiritual  part  of  man  in  opposition  to  the  body,  which  is  the  ma- 
terial part.  Qualities  are  not  said  to  be  spiritual,  because  they 
have  their  seat  in  the  soul,  and  not  in  the  body:  for  there  are 
some  properties  that  the  scripture  calls  carnal  or  Jleshhj,  which 
have  their  seat  as  much  in  the  soul  as  those  properties  that  are 
called  spiritual.  Thus  it  is  with  pride  and  self-righteousness, 
and  a  man's  trusting  to  his  own  wisdom,  which  the  apostle  cuMU^k  ^  y,  » 
fieshly.  Col.  ii.  18,     Nor  are  things  called  spiritual  because  they^  ~J. 

are  conversant  about  those  things  that  are  immaterial  and  not  -^ 

corporeal.     For  so  was  the  wisdom  of  the  wise  men  and  princes  '-eC^ 

of  this  world,   conversant  about  spirits  and  immaterial  being-s;  ^  j^/ 
which  yet  the  apostle  speaks  of  as  natural  men,  totally  ignoranfiZ?'!^  >"4>?^ 
of  those  things  that  are  spiritual,  1  Cor.  chap.  ii.     But  it  is  with^  '^a't^^^ 
relation  to  the  Holy  Ghost,  or  Spirit  of  God,  that  persons  or  things  'v..::^^^- 
are  termed  spiritual  in  the  New  Testament.     Spirit,  as  the  word  L 
is  used  to  signify  the  third  person  in  the  trinity,  is  the  substantive,  "    ^' '  i-^-c^ 
of  which  is  formed  the  adjective  spiritual,  in  the  holy  scriptures,  ,    ,    .,    "■< 
Thus  Christians  are  called  spiritual  persons,  because  they  are  born  '''^^h  SiJ^ 
of  the  Spirit,  and  because  of  the  indwelling  and  holy  influences 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  them.     And  things  are  called  spiritual  as 
related  to  the  Spirit  of  God,  1  Cor.  ii.   13,  14,  "  Which  things 
also  we  speak,  not  in  the  words  which  man's  wisdom  teacheth, 
but  which  the  Holy  Ghost  teacheth;   comparing  spiritual  things 
with  spiritual.     But  the  natural  man  receiveth  not  the  things  of 


130  FIRST  SIGN  OF 

the  Spirit  of  God."  Here  the  apostle  himself  expressly  signifies 
that  by  spiritual  things  he  means  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God, 
and  tilings  which  the  Holy  Ghost  teacheth.  The  same  is  yet 
more  abundantly  apparent  by  viewing  the  whole  context.  Again, 
Rom.  viii.  6.  To  be  carnally  minded  is  death;  to  be  spiritually 
minded  is  life  and  peace.  The  apostle  explains  what  he  means 
by  being  carnally  and  spiritually  minded,  in  what  follows  in  the 
9th  verse,  and  shows  that  by  being  spiritually  minded,  he  means 
a  having  the  indwelling  and  holy  influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God  in 
the  heart,  "  But  ye  are  not  in  the  flesh,  but  in  the  Spirit,  if  so 
be  the  Spirit  of  God  dwell  in  you.  Now  if  any  man  have  not  the 
Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  his,"  The  same  is  evident  by  all 
the  context.  But  time  would  fail  to  produce  all  the  evidences 
there  are  of  this  in  the  New  Testament. 

And  it  must  be  here  observed,  that  although  it  is  with  relation 
to  the  Spirit  of  God  and  his  influences,  that  persons  and  things 
are  called  spiritual;  yet  not  all  those  persons  who  are  subject  to 
any  kind  of  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  are  ordinarily  called 
spiritual  in  the  New  Testament,  They  who  have  only  the  com- 
.  mon  influences  of  God's  Spirit,  are  not  so  called  in  the  places  ci- 
ted above,  but  only  those  who  have  the  special,  gracious  and  saving 
influences  of  God's  Spirit;  as  is  evident,  because  it  has  been  al- 
ready proved  that  by  spiritual  men  are  meant  godly  men,  in  op- 
position to  natural,  carnal  and  unsanctified  men.  And  it  is  most 
plain,  that  the  apostle  by  spiritually  minded,  Rom.  viii.  6,  means 
graciously  minded.  And  though  the  extraordinary  gifts  of  the 
Spirit  which  natural  men  might  have,  are  sometimes  called  spi- 
ritual, because  they  are  from  the  Spirit;  yet  natural  men,  what- 
ever gifts  of  the  Spirit  they  had,  were  not  in  the  usual  language 
of  the  New  Testament  called  spiritual  persons.  For  it  was  not 
by  mens  having  the  gifts  of  the  Spirit,  but  by  their  having  the 
virtues  of  the  Spirit  that  they  were  called  spiritual;  as  is  appa- 
rent by  Gal.  vi,  1,  "  Brethren,  if  any  man  be  overtaken  in  a  fault, 
ye  which  are  spiritual,  restore  such  a  one  in  the  spirit  of  meek- 
ness." Meekness  is  one  of  those  virtues  which  the  apostle  had 
just  spoken  of,  in  the  verses  next  preceding,  showing  what  are 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  131 

the  fruits  of  the  Spirit.  Those  qualifications  are  said  to  be  spi- 
ritual, in  the  language  of  the  New  Testament,  which  are  truly 
gracious  and  holy,  and  peculiar  to  the  saints. 

Thus  when  we  read  of  spiritual  wisdom  and  understanding,  (as  in 
Col.  i.  9,  "  We  desire  that  ye  may  be  tilled  with  the  knowledge 
of  his  will,  in  all  wisdom  and  spiritual  understanding,")  hereby 
is  intended  that  wisdom  which  is^'acious,  and  from  the  sanctify- 
ing influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  For  doubtless,  by  spiritiial 
wisdom  is  meant  that  which  is  opposite  to  what  the  scripture  calls 
natural  wisdom;  as  the  spiritual  man  is  opposed  to  the  natural 
man.  And  therefore  spiritual  wisdom  is  doubtless  the  same  wuth 
that  wisdom  which  is  from  above,  that  the  apostle  James 
speaks  of,  Jam.  Hi.  17,  "  The  wisdom  that  Is  from  above,  is 
first  pure,  then  peaceable,  gentle,"  &c.  for  this  the  apostle  op- 
poses to  natural  wisdom,  ver.  15:  "  This  wisdom  descendeth  not 
from  above,  but  is  earthly,  sensual" — the  last  word  in  the  origi- 
nal is  the  same  that  is  translated  natural,  In  1  Cor.  ii.  14. 

So  that  although  natural  men  may  be  the  subjects  of  many  in- 
fluences of  the  Spirit  of  God,  as  is  evident  from  many  scriptures, 
as  Numb.  xxiv.  2.  1  Sam.  x.  10,  and  xl.  6,  and  xvi.  14,  1  Cor. 
xlli.  1,  2,  3,  Heb.  vi.  4,  5,  6,  and  many  others;  yet  they  are  not, 
in  the  sense  of  the  scripture,  spiritual  persons;  neltb.er  any  of  those 
effects,  common  gifts,  qualities  or  aflections,  that  are  from  the  in- 
fluence of  the  Spirit  of  God  upon  them,  called  spiritual  things. 
The  great  difference  lies  in  these  two  things. 

1.  The  Spirit  of  God  is  given  to  the  true  saints  to  dwell  in 
them,  as  his  proper  lasting  abode;  and  to  Influence  their  hearts, 
as  a  principle  of  new  nature,  or  as  a  divine  supernatural  spring 
of  life  and  action.  The  scriptures  represent  the  Holy  Spirit  not 
only  as  moving  and  occasionally  influencing  the  saints,  but  as 
dwelling  in  them  as  his  temple,  his  proper  abode,  and  everlasting 
dwelling  place,  1  Cor.  Hi.  16,  2  Cor.  vi.  16,  John  xlv.  16,  17. 
And  he  is  represented  as  being  there  so  united  to  the  faculties  of 
the  soul,  that  he  becomes  there  a  principle  or  spring  of  new  na- 
ture and  life. 

So  the  saints  are  said  to  live  by  Christ  living  in  them,  Gal.  ii. 
R  *  • 


132  FIRST  SIGN  OF 

20,  Christ  by  his  Spirit  not  only  is  in  them,  but  lives  in  them; 
and  so  that  they  live  by  his  life;  so  is  his  Spirit  united  to  them  as 
a  principle  of  life  in  them;  they  do  not  only  drink  living  water, 
but  this  "  living  water  becomes  a  well  or  fountain  of  water"  in 
the  soul,  "  springing  up  into  spiritual  and  everlasting  life,"  John 
iv.  14,  and  thus  become  a  principle  of  life  in  them.  This  living 
water,  this  evangelist  himself  explains  to  intend  the  Spirit  of  God, 
chap.  vii.  38,  39.  The  light  of  the  Sun  of  righteousness  does  not 
only  shine  upon  them,  but  is  so  communicated  to  them  that  they 
shine  also,  and  become  little  images  of  that  Sun  which  shines  up- 
on them;  the  sap  of  the  true  vine  is  not  only  conveyed  into  them, 
as  the  sap  of  a  tree  may  be  conveyed  into  a  vessel,  but  is  convey- 
ed as  sap  is  from  a  tree  into  one  of  its  living  branches,  where  it 
becomes  a  principle  of  life.  The  Spirit  of  God  being  thus  com- 
municated and  united  to  the  saints,  they  are  from  thence  proper- 
ly denominated  from  it,  and  are  called  spiritual. 

On  the  other  hand,  though  the  Spirit  of  God  may  many  ways 
influence  natural  men;  yet  because  it  is  not  thus  communicated 
to  them,  as  an  indwelling  principle,  they  do  not  derive  any  de- 
nomination or  character  from  it;  for  there  being  no  union,  it  is  not 
their  own.  The  light  may  shine  upon  a  body  that  is  very  dark 
or  black;  and  though  that  body  be  the  subject  of  the  light,  yet  be- 
cause the  light  becomes  no  principle  of  light  in  it,  so  as  to  cause 
the  body  to  shine,  hence  that  body  does  not  properly  receive  its 
denomination  from  it,  so  as  to  be  called  a  lightsome  body.  So 
the  Spirit  of  God  acting  upon  the  soul  only,  without  communica- 
ting itself  to  be  an  active  principle  in  it,  can  not  denominate  it 
spiritual.  A  body  that  continues  black,  may  be  said  not  to  have 
light,  though  the  light  shines  upon  it:  so  natural  men  are  said 
"  not  to  have  the  Spirit,"  Jude  19,  sensual,  or  natural  (as  the 
word  is  elsewhere  rendered)  having  not  the  Spirit. 

2.  Another  reason  why  the  saints  and  their  virtues  are  called 
spiritual  (which  is  the  principal  thing)  is,  that  the  Spirit  of  God, 
dwelling  as  a  vital  principle  in  their  souls,  there  produces  those 
effects  wherein  he  exerts  and  communicates  himself  in  his  own 
proper  nature.     Holiness  is  the  nature  of  the  Spirit  of  God, 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  133 

therefore  he  is  calletl  in  scripture  the  Holy  Ghost,  Holiness, 
which  is  as  it  were  the  beauty  and  sweetness  of  the  divine  nature, 
is  as  much  the  proper  nature  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  as  heat  is  the 
nature  of  fire,  or  sweetness  was  the  nature  of  that  holy  anointing 
which  was  the  principal  type  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  the  Mosaic 
dispensation;  yea,  I  may  rather  say,  that  holiness  is  as  much  the 
proper  nature  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  as  sweetness  was  the  nature  of 
the  sweet  odour  of  that  ointment.  The  Spirit  of  God  so  dwells 
in  the  hearts  of  the  saints,  that  he  there,  as  a  seed  or  spring  of 
life,  exerts  and  communicates  himself,  in  this  his  sweet  and  di- 
vine nature,  making  the  soul  a  partaker  of  God's  beauty  and 
Christ's  joy,  so  that  the  saint  has  truly  fellowship  -with  the  Father, 
and  with  his  Son  Jesus  Christ,  in  thus  having  the  communion  or 
participation  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  The  grace  which  is  in  the 
hearts  of  the  saints,  is  of  the  same  nature  with  the  divine  holi- 
ness, as  much  as  it  is  possible  for  that  holiness  to  be,  which  is 
infinitely  less  in  degree;  as  the  brightness  that  is  in  a  diamond 
which  the  sun  shines  upon,  is  of  the  same  nature  with  the  bright- 
ness of  the  sun,  but  only  that  it  is  as  nothing  to  it  in  degree. 
Therefore  Christ  says,  John  iii,  6.  "  That  which  is  born  of  the 
Spirit,  is  spirit;"  i.  e.  the  grace  that  is  begotten  in  the  hearts  of 
the  saints  is  something  of  the  same  nature  with  that  Spirit,  and 
so  is  properly  called  a  spiritual  nature;  after  the  same  manner  as 
that  which  is  born  of  the  flesh  is  flesh,  or  that  which  is  born  of 
corrupt  nature  is  corrupt  nature. 

But  the  Spirit  of  God  never  influences  the  minds  of  natural 
men  after  this  manner.  Though  he  may  influence  them  many 
ways,  yet  he  never,  in  any  of  his  influences,  communicates  him- 
self to  them  in  his  own  proper  nature.  Indeed  he  never  acts 
disagreeably  to  his  nature,  either  on  the  minds  of  saints  or  sin- 
ners. But  the  Spirit  of  God  may  act  upon  men  agreeably  to  his 
own  nature,  and  not  exert  his  proper  nature  in  the  acts  and  ex- 
ercises of  their  minds.  The  Spirit  of  God  may  act  so,  that  his 
actions  may  be  agreeable  to  his  nature,  and  yet  may  not  at  all 
communicate  himself  in  his  proper  nature,  in  the  effect  of  that 
action.     Thus,  for  instance,  the  Spirit  of  God  moved  upon  the 


134  FIRST    SIGN    Of 

face  of  the  waters,  and  there  was  nothing  disagreeable  to  his  na- 
ture in  that  action,  but  yet  he  did  not  at  all  communicate  himself 
in  that  action;  there  was  notlring  of  the  proper  nature  of  the  Ho- 
ly Spirit  in  that  motion  of  the  waters.  And  so  he  may  act  upon 
the  minds  of  men  many  ways,  and  not  communicate  himself 
any  more  than  when  he  acts  on  inanimate  things. 

Thus  not  only  the  manner  of  the  relation  of  the  Spirit,  who  is 
the  operator,  to  the  subject  of  his  operations,  is  different;  as  the 
Spirit  operates  in  the  saints,  as  dwelling  in  them,  as  an  abiding 
principle  of  action,  whereas  he  doth  not  so  operate  upon  sinners; 
but  the  Influence  and  operation  itself  is  different,  and  the  effect 
wrought  exceeding  different.  So  that  not  only  the  persons  are 
called  spiritual^  as  having  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelling  in  them; 
but  those  qualifications,  affections  and  experiences,  that  are 
wrought  in  them  by  the  Spirit,  are  also  spiritual,  and  therein  dif- 
fer vastly  in  their  nature  and  kind  from  all  that  a  natural  man  is 
or  can  be  the  subject  of,  while  he  remains  in  a  natural  state; 
and  also  from  all  that  men  or  devils  can  be  the  authors  of.  It  is 
a  spiritual  work  in  this  high  sense;  and  therefore  above  all  other 
works  is  peculiar  to  the  Spirit  of  God.  There  is  no  work  so 
high  and  excellent;  for  there  is  no  work  wherein  God  doth  so 
much  communicate  himself,  and  wherein  the  mere  creature  hath, 
in  so  high  a  sense,  a  participation  of  God;  so  that  it  is  express- 
ed in  scripture  by  the  saints,  "  being  made  partakers  of  the  di- 
vine nature,"  2  Pet.  i.  4,  and  "  having  God  dwelling  in  them, 
and  they  in  God,"  1  John  iv.  12,  15,  16,  and  chap.  iii.  21, 
"and  having  Christ  in  them,"  John  xvii.  21,  Rom.  viii.  10, 
"being  the  temples  of  the  living  God,"  2  Cor.  vi.  16,  "  living 
by  Christ's  life,"  Gal.  ii.  20,  "  being  made  partakers  of  God's 
holiness,  Heb.  xii.  10,  "having  Christ's  love  dwelling  in  them," 
John  xvii.  26,  "having  his  joy  fulfilled  in  them;"  John  xvii.  13, 
"  seeing  light  in  God's  light,  and  being  made  to  drink  of  the 
river  of  God's  pleasures,"  Psal.  xxxvi.  8,  9,  "  having  fellowship 
with  God,  or  communicating  and  partaking  with  him  (as  the 
woi-d  signifies)  1  John  i.  3.  Not  that  the  saints  are  made  par- 
takers of  the  essence  of  God,  and  so  are  godded  with  God,  and 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  135 

christed  with  Christ,  according  to  the  abominable  and  blasphem- 
ous language  and  notions  of  some  heretics:  but,  to  use  the  scrip- 
ture phrase,  they  are  made  partakers  of  God's  fulness,  Eph.  iii. 
17,  18,  19,  John  i.  16,  that  is,  of  God's  spiritual  beauty  and 
happiness,  according  to  the  measure  and  capacity  of  a  creature; 
for  so  it  is  evident  the  word  fulness  signifies  in  scripture  language. 
Grace  in  the  hearts  of  the  saints  being  therefore  the  most  glo- 
rious work  of  God,  wherein  he  communicates  the  goodness  of 
his  nature,  it  is  doubtless  his  peculiar  work,  and  in  an  eminent 
manner  above  the  power  of  all  creatures.  And  the  influences 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  this,  being  thus  peculiar  to  God,  and  be- 
ing those  wherein  God  does,  in  so  high  a  manner,  communicate 
himself,  and  make  the  creature  partaker  of  the  divine  nature  (the 
Spirit  of  God  communicating  itself  in  its  own  proper  nature)  this 
is  what  I  mean  by  those  influences  that  are  divine,  when  I  say 
that "  truly  gracious  affections  do  arise  from  those  influences  that 
are  spiritual  and  divine." 

The  true  saints  only  have  that  which  is  spiritual;  others  have 
nothing  which  is  divine  in  the  sense  that  has  been  spoken  of. 
They  not  only  have  not  these  communications  of  the  Spirit  of 
God  in  so  high  a  degree  as  the  saints,  but  have  nothing  of  that 
nature  or  kind.  For  the  apostle  James  tells  us  that  natural  men 
have  not  the  Spirit;  and  Christ  teaches  the  necessity  of  a  new 
birth,  or  of  being  born  of  the  Spirit,  from  this,  that  he  that  is  born 
of  the  flesh,  has  only  flesh,  and  no  Spirit,  John  iii.  6.  They  have 
not  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelling  in  them  in  any  degree;  for  the 
apostle  teaches,  that  all  who  have  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelling  in 
them,  are  some  of  his,  Rom.  viii.  9 — 11.  And  a  having  the 
Spirit  of  God  is  spoken  of  as  a  certain  sign  that  persons  shall 
have  eternal  inheritance;  for  it  is  spoken  of  as  the  earnest  of  it, 
2  Cor.  i.  22,  and  v.  5,  Eph.  i.  14,  and  a  having  any  thing  of 
the  Spirit  is  mentioned  as  a  sure  sign  of  being  in  Christ,  1  John 
iv.  13.  "  Hereby  know  we  that  we  dwell  in  him,  because  he 
hath  given  us  of  his  Spirit."  Ungodly  men  not  only  have  not  so 
much  of  the  divine  nature  as  the  saints,  but  they  are  not  parta- 
kers of  it;  "which  implies  that  they  have  nothing  of  it;  for  a  be- 


136  FIRST    SIGN    OF 

ing  partaker  of  the  divine  nature  is  spoken  of  as  the  peculiar 
privilege  of  the  true  saints,  2  Pet.  i.  4.  Ungodly  men  are  not 
"  partakers  of  God's  holiness,"  Heb.  xii.  10.  A  natural  man 
has  no  experience  of  any  of  those  things  that  are  spiritual.  The 
apostle  teaches  us,  that  he  is  so  far  from  it,  that  he  knows  nothing 
about  them,  he  is  a  perfect  stranger  to  them,  the  talk  about  such 
things  is  all  foolishness  and  nonsense  to  him,  he  knows  not  what 
it  means,  1  Cor.  ii.  14.  "The  natural  man  receiveth  not  the 
things  of  the  Spirit  of  God;  for  they  are  foolishness  to  him: 
Neither  can  he  know  them,  because  they  are  spiritually  discern- 
ed." And  to  the  like  purpose  Christ  teaches  us  that  the  world 
is  wholly  unacquainted  with  the  Spirit  of  God,  John  xiv.  17., 
"  Even  the  Spirit  of  truth,  whom  the  world  can  not  receive,  be- 
cause it  seeth  him  not,  neither  knoweth  him."  And  it  is  further 
evident,  that  natural  men  have  nothing  in  them  of  the  same  nature 
with  the  true  grace  of  the  saints,  because  the  apostle  teaches  us, 
that  those  of  them  who  go  farthest  in  religion  have  no  charity,  or 
true  christian  love,  1  Cor.  chap.  xiii.  So  Christ  elsewhere  re- 
proves the  pharisees,  those  high  pretenders  to  religion,  that  they 
"  had  not  the  love  of  God  in  them,"  John  v.  42.  Hence  natu- 
ral men  have  no  communion  or  fellowship  with  Christ,  or  partici- 
pation with  him  (as  these  words  signify)  for  this  is  spoken  of  as 
the  peculiar  privilege  of  the  saints,  1  John  i.  3,  together  with 
ver.  6,  7,  and  1  Cor.  i.  8,  9.     And  the  scripture  speaks  of  the 

.  actual  being  of  a  gracious  principle  in  the  soul,  though  in  its  first 
beginning,  as  a  seed  there  planted,  as  inconsistent  with  a  man's 
being  a  sinner,  1  John  iii.  9.     And  natural  men  are  represented 

f  in  scripture  as  having  no  spiritual  life,   and  no  spiritual  being; 

^  and  therefore  conversion  is  often  compared  to  opening  the  eyes  of 
the  blind,  raising  the  dead,  and  a  work  of  creation  (wherein  crea- 
tures are  made  entirely  new)  and  becoming  new  born  children. 

From  these  things  it  is  evident  that  those  gracious  influences 
which  the  saints  are  subjects  of,  and  the  effects  of  God's  Spirit 
which  they  experience,  are  entirely  above  nature,  altogether  of  a 
different  kind  from  any  thing  that  men  find  within  themselves  by 
nature,  or  only  in  the  exercise  of  natural  principles;  and  are  things 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  137 

which  no  improvement  of  those   qualifications  or  principles  that  / 

are  natural,  no  advancing  or  exalting  them  to  higher  degrees,  and       A  '^ 
no  kind  of  composition  of  them,  will  ever  bring  men  to;  because  ^  Ty 

they  not  only  differ  from  what  is  natural,  and  from  every  thing  <    r. 

that  natural  men  experience,  in  degree  and  circumstance,  but  al-  ^  (?  ^ 

so  in  kind;  and  are  of  a  nature  vastly  more  excellent.     And  this  K 

is  what  I  mean  by  supernatura],  when  I  say  that  gracious  affec-  .  0 

tions  are  from  those  influences  that  are  supernatural.  f   ^ 

From  hence  it  follows  that  in  those  gracious  exercises  and  affec-  v/ 

tions  which  are  wrought  in  the  minds  of  the  saints  through  the  ^  ^  ^/ 
saving  influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  there  is  a  new  inward  per-^  *^ 

Qeption  or  sensation  of  their  minds,  entirely  different  in  its  na-  ^         **  ^ 
ture  and  kind,  from  any  thing  that  ever  their  minds  were  the  sub-  **'^'t.^   } 
jects  of  before  they  were  sanctified.     For  doubtless  if  God  by  his 
mighty  power  produces  something  that  is  new,  not  only  in  degree 
and  circumstances,  but  in  its  whole  nature,  and  that  which  could 
be  produced  by  no  exalting,  varying  or  compounding  of  what  was 
there  before,  or  by  adding  any  thing  of  the  like  kind;  I  say,  if      . 
God  produces  something  thus  new  in  a  mind,  that  is  a  perceiving,  (r%U.  .4^  [ 
thinking,  conscious  thing;  then  doubtless  something  entirely  uew^''*-*^^:^^ 
is  felt,  or  perceived,  or  thought;  or,  which  is  the  same  thing,  there "^Hc^H^   ' 
is  some  new  sensation  or  perception  of  the  mind,  which  is  cn-^'^vij/wkj. 
tirely  of  a  new  sort,  and  which  would  be  produced  by  no  exalting,^ "'W*^  ^ 
varying  or  compounding  of  that  kind  of  perceptions  or  sensations  ^^ 

which  the  mind  had  before;  or  there  is  what  some  metaphysicians 
call  a  new  simple  ideas'  If  grace  be,  in  the  sense  above  describ- 
ed, an  entirely  new  kind  of  principle,  then  the  exercises  of  it  are 
also  an  entirely  new  kind  of  exercises.  And  if  there  be  in  the 
soul  a  new  sort  of  exercises  which  it  is  conscious  of,  which  the 
soul  knew  nothing  of  before,  and  which  no  improvement,  compo- 
sition or  management  of  what  it  was  before  conscious  or  sensible 
of,  could  produce,  or  any  thing  like  it;  then  it  follows  that  the  r 
mind  has  an  entirely  new  kind  of  perception  or  sensation;  and 
here  is,  as  it  were,  a  new  spiritual  sense  that  the  mind  has,  or  a 
principle  of  a  new  kind  of  perception  or  spiritual  sensation,  which 
is  ill  its  whole  nature  different  from  anv  former  kinds  of  sensa- 


1 


'■■^^ 


-ff 


<d^-{. 


138  FIRST  SIGN  OF 

tions  of  the  mind,  as  tasting  is  diverse  from  any  of  the  other  senses; 
and  something  is  perceived  by  a  true  saint,  in  the  exercise  of 
this  new  sense  of  mind,  in  spiritual  and  divine  things,  as  entire- 
ly diverse  from  any  thing  that  is  perceived  in  them  by  natural 
men,  as  the  sweet  taste  of  honey  is  diverse  from  the  ideas  men 
have  of  honey  by  only  looking  on  it,  and  feeling  of  it.  So  that 
the  spiritual  perceptions  which  a  sanctified  and  spiritual  person 
has,  are  not  only  diverse  from  all  that  natural  men  have  after  the 
manner  that  the  ideas  or  perceptions  of  the  same  sense  may  dif- 
fer one  from  another,  but  rather  as  the  ideas  and  sensations  of 
different  senses  do  differ.  Hence  the  work  of  the  Spirit  of  God 
in  regeneration  is  often  in  scripture  compared  to  the  giving  a  new 
sense,  giving  eyes  to  see  and  ears  to  hear,  unstopping  the  ears  of 
the  deaf,  and  opening  the  eyes  of  them  that  were  born  blind,  and 
turning  from  darkness  unto  light.  And  because  this  spiritual 
sense  is  immensely  the  most  noble  and  excellent,  and  that  with- 
out which  all  other  principles  of  perception  and  all  our  faculties 
are  useless  and  vain;  therefore  the  giving  this  new  sense  with  the 
blessed  fruits  and  effects  of  it  in  the  soul,  is  compared  to  a  raising 
the  dead,  and  to  a  new  creation. 

This  new  spiritual  sense,  and  the  new  dispositions  that  attend 
it,  are  no  new  faculties,  but  are  new  principles  of  nature.  I  use 
the  word  principles  for  want  of  a  word  of  a  more  determinate 
signification.  By  a  principle  of  nature,  in  this  place,  I  mean  that 
foundation  which  is  laid  in  nature,  either  old  or  new,  for  any 
particular  manner  or  kind  of  exercise  of  the  faculties  of  the  soul; 
or  a  natural  habit  or  foundation  for  action,  giving  a  person  ability 
and  disposition  to  exert  the  faculties  in  exercises  of  such  a  certain 
kind;  so  that  to  exert  the  faculties  in  that  kind  of  exercises  may 
be  said  to  be  his  nature.  So  this  new  spiritual  sense  is  not  a 
new  faculty  of  understanding,  but  it  is  a  new  foundation  laid  in 
\  the  nature  of  the  soul,  for  a  new  kind  of  exercises  of  the  same  fa- 
I  culty  of  understanding.  So  that  new  holy  disposition  of  heart 
M  I  that  attends  this  new  sense  is  not  a  new  faculty  of  will,  but  a 
foundation  laid  in  the  nature  of  the  soul,  for  a  new  kind  of  exer- 
\     cises  of  the  same  faculty  of  will. 


/ 


N\ 


</] 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  139 

The  Spirit  of  God,  in  all  his  operations  upon  the  minds  of 
natural  men,  only  moves,  impresses,  assists,  improves,  or  some 
way  acts  upon  natural  principles;  but  gives  no  new  spiritual 
principle.  Thus  when  the  Spirit  of  God  gives  a  natural  man 
visions,  as  he  did  Balaam,  he  only  impresses  a  natural  principle, 
viz.  the  sense  of  seeing,  immediately  exciting  ideas  of  that  sense; 
but  he  gives  no  new  sense;  neither  is  there  any  thing  supernatu- 
ral, spiritual,  or  divine  in  it.  So  if  the  Spirit  of  God  impresses 
on  a  man's  imagination,  either  in  a  dream,  or  when  he  is  awake, 
any  outward  ideas  of  any  of  the  senses,  either  voices,  or  shapes 
and  colours,  it  is  only  exciting  ideas  of  the  same  kind  that  he 
has  by  natural  principles  and  senses.  So  if  God  reveals  to  any 
natural  man  any  secret  fact;  as  for  instance,  something  that  he 
shall  hereafter  see  or  hear;  this  is  not  infusing  or  exercising  any- 
new  spiritual  principle,  or  giving  the  ideas  of  any  new  spiritual 
sense,  it  is  only  impressing  in  an  extraordinary  manner,  the  ideas 
that  will  hereafter  be  received  by  sight  and  hearing.  So  in  the 
more  ordinary  influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God  on  the  hearts  of 
sinners,  he  only  assists  natural  principles  to  do  the  same  work  to 
a  greater  degree,  which  they  do  of  themselves  by  nature.  Thus 
the  Spirit  of  God  by  his  common  influences  may  assist  mens 
natural  ingeniosity,  as  he  assisted  Bezaleel  and  Aholiab  in  the 
curious  works  of  the  tabernacle:  so  he  may  assist  mens  natural 
abilities  in  political  affairs,  and  improve  their  courage  and  other 
natural  qualifications,  as  he  is  said  to  have  put  his  Spirit  on  the 
seventy  elders  and  on  Saul,  so  as  to  give  him  another  heart.  So 
God  may  greatly  assist  natural  mens  reason,  in  their  reasoning 
about  secular  things,  or  about  the  doctrines  of  religion,  and  may 
greatly  advance  the  clearness  of  their  apprehensions  and  notions 
of  things  of  religion  in  many  respects,  without  giving  any  spirit- 
ual sense.  So  in  those  awakenings  and  convictions  that  natural 
men  may  have,  God  only  assists  conscience,  which  is  a  natural 
principle  to  do  that  work  in  a  further  degree,  which  it  naturally 
does.  Conscience  naturally  gives  men  an  apprehension  of  right 
and  wrong,  and  suggests  the  relation  there  is  between  right  and 

wrong,  and  a  retribution.     The  Spirit  of  God  assists  mens  con- 

s 


140  FIRST  SIGN  OF 

sciences  to  do  this  In  a  greater  degree,  helps  conscience  against 

the  stupifying  influence  of  worldly  objects  and  their  lusts.     And 

so  many  other  ways  might  be  mentioned  wherein  the  Spirit  acts 

upon,  assists,  and  moves  natural  principles;  but  after  all,  it  is  n© 

more  than  nature  moved,  acted  and  improved;  here  is  nothing 

supernatural  and  divine.     But  the  Spirit  of  God  in  his  spiritual 

^.   influences  on  the  hearts  of  his  saints,  operates  by  infusing  or  ex- 

{    ercising  new,  divine,  and  supernatural    principles;    principles 

I    which  are  indeed  a  new  and  spiritual  nature,  and  principles  vast- 

\   ly  more  noble  and  excellent  than  all  that  is  in  natural  men. 

From  what  has  been  said  it  follows,  that  all  spiritual  and  gra- 

y.    cious  affections  are  attended  with,  and  do  arise  from  some  appre- 

{/'  .  n     ^^nsion,  idea,  or  sensation  of  mijid,  which  is  in  its  whole  nature 

^""^/M^-^  different,  yea,  exceeding  different,  from  all  that  is,  or  can  be  in 

^'''^'£*^^U^^.    the  mind  of  a  natural  man;  and  which  the  natural  man  discerns 

tc**,,^    >  nothing  of,  and  has  no  manner  of  idea  of  (agreeable  to  1  Cor. 

ii.  14,)  and  conceives  of  no  more  than  a  man  without  the  sense 

of  tasting  can  conceive  of  the  sweet  taste  of  honey,  or  a  man 

without  the  sense  of  hearing  can  conceive  of  the  melody  of  a 

tune,  or  a  man  born  blind  can  have  a  notion  of  the  beauty  of  the 

rainbow. 

But  here  two  things  must  be  observed,  in  order  to  the  right 
understanding  of  this. 

1.  On  the  one  hand  it  must  be  observed,  that  not  every  thing 
which  in  any  respect  appertains  to  spiritual  affections,  is  new 
and  entirely  different  from  what  natural  men  can  conceive  of, 
and  do  experience;  some  things  are  common  to  gracious  affec- 
tions with  other  affections;  many  circumstances,  appendages  and 
/effects  are  common.  Thus  a  saint's  love  to  God  has  a  great  ma- 
ny things  appertaining  to  it,  which  are  common  with  a  man's 
atural  love  to  a  near  relation;  love  to  God  makes  a  man  have 
desires  of  the  honour  of  God,  and  a  desire  to  please  him;  so  does 
a  natural  man's  love  to  his  friend  make  him  desire  his  honour, 
and  desire  to  please  him;  love  to  God  causes  a  man  to  delight  in 
the  presence  of  God,  and  to  desire  conformity  to  God,  and  the 
enjoyment  of  God;  and  so  it  is  with  a  man's  love  to  his  friend: 


piis 


\ 

GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  141 

and  many  other  things  might  be  mentioned  which  are  common 
to  both.  But  yet  that  idea  which  the  saint  has  of  the  loveliness 
of  God,  and  that  sensation,  and  that  kind  of  delight  he  has  in 
that  view,  which  is  as  it  were  the  marrow  and  quintessence  of 
his  love,  is  peculiar  and  entirely  diverse  from  any  thing  that  a 
natural  man  has,  or  can  have  any  notion  of.  And  even  in  those 
things  that  seem  to  be  common,  there  is  some  thing  peculiar; 
both  spiritual  and  natural  cause  desires  after  the  object  beloved; 
but  they  be  not  the  same  sort  of  desires:  there  is  a  sensation  of 
soul  in  the  spiritual  desires  of  one  that  loves  God,  which  is  en- 
tirely different  from  all  natural  desires:  both  spiritual  love  and 
natural  love  are  attended  with  delight  in  the  object  beloved;  but 
the  sensations  of  delight  are  not  the  same,  but  entirely  and  ex- 
ceedingly diverse.  Natural  men  may  have  conceptions  of  many 
things  about  spiritual  affections;  but  there  is  something  in  them 
which  is  as  it  were  the  nucleus,  or  kernel  of  them,  that  they  have 
no  more  conception  of,  than  one  born  blind  has  of  colours. 

It  may  be  clearly  illustrated  by  this:  we  will  suppose  two  men, 
one  is  born  without  the  sense  of  tasting,  the  other  has  it;  the  lat- 
ter loves  honey,  and  is  greatly  delighted  in  it,  because  he  knows 
the  sweet  taste  of  it;  the  other  loves  certain  sounds  and  colours; 
the  love  of  each  has  many  things  that  appertain  to  it  which  is 
common;  it  causes  both  to  desire  and  delight  in  the  object  belov- 
ed, and  causes  grief  when  it  is  absent,  &c. ;  but  yet  that  idea  or 
sensation  which  he  who  knows  the  taste  of  honey  has  of  its  ex- 
cellency and  sweetness,  that  is  the  foundation  of  his  love,  is  en- 
tirely different  from  any  thing  the  other  has  or  can  have;  and 
that  delight  which  he  has  in  honey,  is  wholly  diverse  from  any 
thing  that  the  other  can  conceive  of,  though  they  both  delight  in 
their  beloved  objects.  So  both  these  persons  may  in  some  re- 
spects love  the  same  objects:  the  one  may  love  a  delicious  kind 
of  fruit,  which  is  beautiful  to  the  eye,  and  of  a  delicious  taste; 
not  only  because  he  has  seen  its  pleasant  colours,  but  knows  its 
sweet  taste ;  the  other  perfectly  ignorant  of  this,  loves  it  only  for 
its  beautiful  colours;  there  are  many  things  seen,  in  some  respect, 
to  be  common  to  both;  both  love,  both  desire,  and  both  delight: 


14^  FIRST  SIGN  OF 

but  the  love  and  desire  and  delight  of  the  one,  is  altogether  di- 
verse from  that  of  the  other.  The  difference  between  the  love 
of  a  natural  man  and  a  spiritual  man  is  like  to  this,  but  only  it 
must  be  observed,  that  in  one  respect  it  is  vastly  greater,  viz. 
that  the  kinds  of  excellency  which  are  perceived  in  spiritual  ob- 
jects, by  these  different  kinds  of  persons,  are  in  themselves  vastly 
more  diverse  than  the  different  kinds  of  excellency  perceived  in 
delicious  fruit,  by  a  tasting  and  a  tasteless  man;  and  in  another 
respect  it  may  not  be  so  great,  viz.  as  the  spiritual  man  may  have 
a  spiritual  sense  or  taste,  to  perceive  that  divine  and  most  pecu- 
liar excellency  but  in  small  beginnings,  and  in  a  very  imperfect 
degree. 

2.  On  the  other  hand  it  must  be  observed,  that  a  natural  man 
may  have  those  religious  apprehensions  and  affections,  which 
may  be  in  many  respects  very  new  and  surprising  to  him,  and 
what  before  he  did  not  conceive  of;  and  yet  if  what  he  expe- 
riences be  nothing  like  the  exercises  of  a  principle  of  new  na- 
ture, or  the  sensations  of  a  new  spiritual  sense;  his  affections 
may  be  very  new,  by  extraordinarily  moving  natural  principles 
in  a  very  new  degree,  and  with  a  great  many  new  circumstances, 
and  a  new  co-operation  of  natural  affections,  and  a  new  compo- 
sition of  ideas;  this  may  be  from  some  extraordinary  powerful 
influence  of  Satan,  and  some  great  delusion;  but  there  is  nothing 
but  nature  extraordinarily  acted.  As  if  a  poor  man  that  had  al- 
ways dwelt  in  a  cottage,  and  had  never  looked  beyond  the  ob- 
scure village  where  he  was  born,  should  in  a  jest  be  taken  to 
a  magnificent  ci<y  and  prince's  court,  and  there  arrayed  in  princely 
robes,  and  set  on  the  throne,  with  the  crown  royal  on  his  head, 
peers  and  nobles  bowing  before  him,  and  should  be  made  to  believe 
that  he  was  now  a  glorious  monarch;  the  ideas  he  would  have, 
and  the  affections  he  would  experience,  would  in  many  respects 
be  very  new,  and  such  as  he  had  no  imagination  of  before;  but 
all  this  is  no  more  than  extraordinarily  raising  and  exciting  na- 
tural principles,  and  newly  exalting,  varying  and  compounding 
such  sort  of  ideas,  as  he  has  by  nature;  here  is  nothing  like  giving 
him  a  new  sense. 


GRACIOUS   AFFECTIONS.  143 

Upon  the  whole,  I  think  it  is  clearly  manifest  that  all  truly 
gracious  affections  do  arise  from  special  and  peculiar  influences 
of  the  Spirit,  working  that  sensible  effect  or  sensation  in  the 
souls  of  the  saints,  which  are  entirely  different  from  all  that  is 
possible  a  natural  man  should  experience,  not  only  different  in 
degree  and  circumstances,  but  different  in  its  whole  nature,  so 
that  a  natural  man  not  only  can  not  experience  that  which  is  in- 
dividually the  same,  but  can  not  experience  any  thing  but  what 
is  exceeding  diverse,  and  immensely  below  it  in  its  kind;  and 
that  which  the  power  of  men  or  devils  is  not  sufficient  to  produce 
the  like  of,  or  any  thing  of  the  same  nature. 

I  have  insisted  largely  on  this  matter,  because  it  is  of  greal 
importance  and  use,  evidently  to  discover  and  demonstrate  the 
delusions  of  Satan,  in  many  kinds  of  false  religious  affections, 
which  multitudes  are  deluded  by,  and  probably  have  been  in  all 
ages  of  the  christian  church;  and  to  settle  and  determine  many 
articles  of  doctrine,  concerning  the  operations  of  the  Spirit  of 
God,  and  the  nature  of  true  grace. 

Now,  therefore,  to  apply  these  things  to  the  purpose  of  the  dis- 
course, y'^..,..,—-^'' 

From  hence  it  appears  that  impressions  which  some  have  macfe""^ 
on  their  imagination,  or  the  imaginary  ideas  which  they  have  of 
God,  or  Christ,  or  heaven,  or  any  thing  appertaining  to  religion, 
have  nothing  in  them  that  is  spiritual,  or  of  the  nature  of  true 
grace.  Though  such  things  may  attend  what  is  spiritual,  and  be 
mixed  with  it,  yet  in  themselves  they  have  nothing  that  is  spirit- 
ual, nor  are  they  any  part  of  gracious  experience. 

Here,  for  the  sake  of  common  people,  I  will  explain  what  is 
intended  by  impressions  on  the  imagination  and  imaginary  ideas. 
The  imagination  is  that  power  of  the  mind  whereby  it  can  have  a 
conception  or  idea  of  things  of  an  external  or  outward  nature,  (that 
is,  of  such  sort  of  things  as  are  the  objects  of  the  outward  senses) 
when  those  things  are  not  present  and  be  not  perceived  by  the 
senses.  It  is  called  imagination  from  the  word  image;  because 
thereby  a  person  can  have  an  image  of  some  external  thing  in  his 
mind,  when  that  thing  is  not  present  in  reality,  nor  any  thing  like 


144  FIRST  SIGN  OP 

it.  All  such  things  as  we  perceive  by  our  five  external  senses, 
seeing,  hearing,  smelling,  tasting  and  feeling  are  external  things: 
and  when  a  person  has  an  idea  or  image  of  any  of  these  sorts  of 
things  in  his  mind,  when  they  are  not  there,  and  when  he  does 
not  really  see,  hear,  smell,  taste  nor  feel  them,  that  is  to  have  an 
imagination  of  them,  and  these  ideas  are  imaginary  ideas:  and 
when  such  kinds  of  ideas  are  strongly  impressed  upon  the  mind, 
and  the  image  of  them  in  the  mind  is  very  lively,  almost  as  if  one 
saw  them  or  heard  them  &c.  that  is  called  an  impression  on  the 
imagination.  Thus  colours  and  shapes  and  a  form  of  counte- 
nance, they  are  outward  things;  because  they  are  that  sort  of 
things  which  are  the  objects  of  the  outward  sense  of  seeing;  and 
therefore  when  any  person  has  in  his  mind  a  lively  idea  of  any 
shape  or  colour  or  form  of  countenance,  that  is  to  have  an  imagi- 
tion  of  those  things.  So  if  he  has  an  idea,  of  such  sort  as  light  or 
darkness,  as  he  perceives  by  the  sense  of  seeing,  that  is  to  have 
an  idea  of  outward  light,  and  so  is  an  imagination.  So  if  he  has  an 
idea  of  any  marks  made  on  paper,  suppose  letters  and  ^vords  writ- 
ten in  a  book,  that  is  to  have  an  external  and  imaginary  idea  of  such 
kind  of  things  as  we  sometimes  perceive  by  our  bodily  eyes.  And 
when  we  have  the  ideas  of  that  kind  of  things  which  we  perceive 
by  any  of  the  other  senses,  as  of  any  sounds  or  voices,  or  words 
spoken,  this  is  only  to  have  ideas  of  outward  things,  viz.  of  such 
kind  of  things  as  are  perceived  by  the  external  sense  of  hearing; 
and  so  that  also  is  imagination:  and  when  these  ideas  are  livelily 
impressed,  almost  as  if  they  were  really  heard  with  the  ears,  this  is 
to  have  an  impression  on  the  imagination.  And  so  I  might  go  on 
and  instance  in  the  ideas  of  things  appertaining  to  the  other  three 
senses  of  smelling,  tasting  and  feeling. 

Many  who  have  had  such  things  have  very  ignorantly  supposed 
them  to  be  of  the  nature  of  spiritual  discoveries.  They  have  had 
lively  ideas  of  some  external  shape  and  beautiful  form  of  counte- 
nance; and  this  they  call  spiritually  seeing  Christ.  Some  have 
had  impressed  upon  them  ideas  of  a  great  outward  light;  and  this 
they  call  a  spiritual  discovery  of  God's  or  Christ's  glory.  Some 
have  had  ideas  of  Christ  hanging  on  a  cross,  and  his  blood  run- 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  145 

tiing  from  his  wounds;  and  this  they  call  a  spiritual  sight  of 
Christ  crucified,  and  the  way  of  salvation  by  his  blood.  Some 
have  seen  him  with  his  arms  open  ready  to  embrace  them;  and 
this  they  call  a  discovery  of  the  sufficiency  of  Christ's  grace  and 
love.  Some  have  had  lively  ideas  of  heaven,  and  of  Christ  on 
his  throne  there,  and  shining  ranks  of  saints  and  angels;  and  this 
they  call  seeing  heaven  opened  to  them.  Some  from  time  to  time 
have  had  a  lively  idea  of  a  person  with  a  beautiful  countenance 
smiling  upon  them;  and  this  they  call  a  spiritual  discovery  of  the 
love  of  Christ  to  their  souls,  and  tasting  the  love  of  Christ.  And 
they  look  upon  it  a  sufficient  evidence  that  these  things  are 
spiritual  discoveries,  and  that  they  see  them  spiritually,  because 
they  say  they  do  not  see  these  things  with  their  bodily  eyes,  but 
in  their  hearts;  for  they  can  see  them  when  their  eyes  are  shut. 
And  in  like  manner  the  imaginations  of  some  have  been  impress- 
ed with  ideas  of  the  sense  of  hearing;  they  have  had  ideas  of 
words,  as  if  they  were  spoken  to  them;  sometimes  they  are  the 
words  of  scripture,  and  sometimes  other  words:  they  have  had 
ideas  of  Christ's  speaking  comfortable  w^ords  to  them.  These 
they  have  called  having  the  inward  call  of  Christ,  hearing  the 
voice  of  Christ  spiritually  in  their  hearts,  having  the  witness  of 
the  Spirit,  and  the  inward  testimony  of  the  love  of  Christ,  &.c. 

The  common  and  less  considering  and  understanding  sort  of 
people,  are  the  more  easily  led  into  apprehensions  that  these  things 
are  spiritual  things,  because  spiritual  things  being  invisible,  and 
not  things  that  can  be  pointed  forth  with  the  finger,  we  are  forced 
to  use  figurative  expressions  in  speaking  of  them,  and  to  borrow 
names  from  external  and  sensible  objects  to  signify  them  by. 
Thus  we  call  a  clear  apprehension  of  things  spiritually  by  the 
name  of  light;  and  having  such  an  apprehension  of  such  or  such 
things  by  the  name  of  seeing  such  things;  and  the  conviction  of 
the  judgment,  and  the  persuasion  of  the  will,  by  the  word  of  Christ 
in  the  gospel,  we  signify  by  spiritually  hearing  the  call  of  Christ. 
And  the  scripture  itself  abounds  with  such  like  figurative  expres- 
sions. Persons  hearing  these  often  used,  and  having  pressed 
upon  them  the  necessity  of  having  their  eyes  opened,  and  hav- 


146  FIRST  SIGN  OF 

ing  a  discovery  of  spiritual  things,  and  seeing  Christ  in  his  glory, 
and  liaving  the  inward  call  and  the  like,  they  ignorantly  look  and 
wait  for  some  such  external  discoveries  and  imaginary  views  as 
have  been  spoken  of;  and  when  they  have  them,  are  confident 
that  now  their  eyes  are  opened,  now  Christ  has  discovered  him- 
self to  them,  and  they  are  his  children;  and  hence  are  exceeding- 
ly affected  and  elevated  with  their  deliverance  and  happiness, 
and  many  kinds  of  affections  are  at  once  set  in  a  violent  motion 
in  them. 

But  it  is  exceedingly  apparent  that  such  ideas  have  nothing  in 
them  which  is  spiritual  and  divine,  in  the  sense  wherein  it  has 
been  demonstrated  that  all  gracious  experiences  are  spiritual  and 
divine.  These  external  ideas  are  in  no  wise  of  such  a  sort,  that 
they  are  entirely  and  in  their  whole  nature  diverse  from  all  that 
men  have  by  nature,  perfectly  different  from,  and  vastly  above 
any  sensation  which  it  is  possible  a  man  should  have  by  any  na- 
tural sense  or  principle,  so  that  in  order  to  have  them,  a  man 
must  have  a  new  spiritual  and  divine  sense  given  him,  in  order 
to  have  any  sensations  of  that  sort:  so  far  from  this,  that  they  are 
ideas  of  the  same  sort  which  we  have  by  the  external  senses,  that 
they  are  some  of  the  inferior  powers  of  the  human  nature;  they 
are  merely  ideas  of  external  objects  or  ideas  of  that  nature,  of  the 
same  outward,  sensitive  kind;  the  same  sort  of  sensations  of  mind 
(differing  not  in  degree,  but  only  in  circumstances)  that  we  have 
by  those  natural  principles  which  are  common  to  us  with  the 
beasts,  viz.  the  five  external  senses.  This  is  a  low,  miserable 
notion  of  spiritual  sense,  to  suppose  that  it  is  only  a  conceiving  or 
imagining  that  sort  of  ideas  which  we  have  by  our  animal  senses, 
which  senses  the  beasts  have  in  as  great  perfection  as  we;  it  is, 
as  it  were,  a  turning  Christ,  or  the  divine  nature  in  the  soul, 
into  a  mere  animal.  There  is  nothing  wanting  in  the  soul,  as  it 
is  by  nature,  to  render  it  capable  of  being  the  subject  of  all  these 
external  ideas,  without  any  new  principles.  A  natural  man  is  ca- 
pable of  having  an  idea,  and  a  lively  idea  of  shapes  and  colours 
and  sounds  when  they  are  absent,  and  as  capable  as  a  regenerated 
man  is:  so  there  is  nothing  supernatural  in  them.      And  it  is 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  149 

known  by  abundant  experience,  that  it  is  not  the  advancing  or 
perfecting  human  nature,  which  makes  persons  more  capable  of 
having  such  lively  and  strong  imaginary  ideas,  but  that  on  the 
contrary,  the  weakness  of  body  and  mind,  and  distempers  of  bo- 
dy, make  persons  abundantly  more  susceptive  of  such  impres- 
sions.! 

As  to  a  truly  spiritual  sensation,  not  only  is  the  manner  of  its 
coming  into  the  mind  extraordinary:  but  the  sensation  itself  is  total- 
ly diverse  from  all  that  men  have  or  can  have  in  a  state  of  nature, 
as  has  been  shown.  But  as  to  these  external  ideas,  though  the 
way  of  their  coming  into  the  mind  is  sometimes  unusual,  yet  the 
ideas  in  themselves  are  not  the  better  for  that;  they  are  still  of  no 
different  sort  from  what  men  have  by  their  senses;  they  are  of  no 
higher  kind,  nor  a  whit  better.  For  instance,  the  external  idea  a  man 
has  now  of  Christ  hanging  on  the  cross  and  shedding  his  blood,  is  no 
better  in  itself  than  the  external  idea  the  Jews,  his  enemies,  had, 
who  stood  round  his  cross  and  saw  this  w  ith  their  bodily  eyes.  The 
imaginary  idea  which  men  have  now  of  an  external  brightness 
and  glory  of  God,  is  no  better  than  the  idea  the  wicked  congre- 
gation in  the  wilderness  had  of  the  external  glory  of  the  Lord  at 
Mount  Sinai,  when  they  saw  it  with  their  bodily  eyes;  nor  any 
better  than  that  idea  which  millions  of  cursed  reprobates  will 
have  of  the  external  glory  of  Christ  at  the  day  of  judgment,  who 
shall  see,  and  have  a  very  lively  idea  of  ten  thousand  times  great- 
er  external  glory  of  Christ  than  ever  yet  was  conceived  in  any 
man's  imagination.:]:     Yea,  the  image  of  Christ,  which  men  con- 

f  "  Conceits  and  whimsies  abound  most  in  men  of  weak  reason;  children, 
and  such  as  are  cracked  in  their  understanding,  have  most  of  tliem;  strength 
of  reason  banishes  them,  as  the  sun  does  mists  and  vapours.  But  now  the 
more  rational  any  gracious  person  is,  by  so  much  more  is  he  fixed  and  set- 
tled, and  satisfied  in  the  grounds  of  religion;  yea,  there  is  the  highest  and 
purest  reason  in  religion;  and  when  this  change  is  wrought  upon  men,  it  is 
carried  on  in  a  rational  way,  Isa.  18,  John  xix.  9."  Flavel's  Preparation  for 
Suffering,  chap,  vi, 

4;  "  If  any  man  should  see  and  behold  Christ  really  and  immediately,  this 
is  not  the  saving  knowledge  of  him.     I  know  the  saints  do  know  Christ  as  if 
immediately  present;  they  are  not  strangers  by  their  distance.  If  others  have 
T 


ioO  FIRST  SI8N  OF 

ceive  in  their  imaginations,  is  not  in  its  own  nature  of  any  supe- 
rior kind  to  tlie  idea  the  papists  conceive  of  Christ,  by  the  beau- 
tiful and  affecting  images  of  him  which  they  see  in  their  churches; 
(though  the  way  of  their  receiving  the  idea  may  not  be  so  bad) 
nor  are  the  affections  they  have,  if  built  primarily  on  such  imagi- 
nations, any  better  than  the  affections  raised  in  the  ignorant  peo- 
ple, by  the  sight  of  those  images,  which  oftentimes  are  very  great; 
especially  when  these  images,  through  the  craft  of  the  priests,  are 
made  to  move  and  speak  and  weep,  and  the  like.f  Merely  the 
way  of  persons  receiving  these  imaginary  ideas,  do  not  alter  the 
nature  of  the  ideas  themselves  that  are  received;  let  them  be  re- 
ceived in  what  way  they  will,  they  are  still  but  external  ideas,  or 
ideas  of  outward  appearances,  and  so  are  not  spiritual.  Yea,  if 
men  should  actually  receive  such  external  ideas  by  the  immediate 
power  of  the  most  high  God  upon  their  minds,  they  would  not 
be  spiritual,  they  would  be  no  more  than  a  common  work  of  the 
Spirit  of  God;  as  is  evident,  in  fact,  in  the  instance  of  Balaam, 
who  had  impressed  on  his  mind,  by  God  himself,  a  clear  and 
lively  outward  representation  or  idea  of  Jesus  Christ,  as  "  the  Star 
rising  out  of  Jacob,  when  he  heard  the  words  of  God,  and  knew  the 

seen  him  more  immediately,  I  will  not  dispute  it.  But  if  they  have  seen  the 
Lord  Jesus  as  immediately  as  if  here  on  earth,  yet  Capernaum  saw  him  so; 
nay,  some  of  them  were  disciples  for  a  time,  and  followed  him,  John  vi.  and 
yet  the  Lord  was  hid  from  their  eyes.  Nay,  all  the  world  shall  see  him  in 
his  glory,  which  shall  amaze  tliem;  and  yet  this  is  far  short  of  having  the 
saving  knowledge  of  him,  which  the  Lord  doth  communicate  to  the  elect. 
So  that  though  you  see  the  Lord  so  really,  as  that  you  become  familiar  with 
him,  yet  Luke  xiii.  26,  "  Lord,  have  we  not  eat  and  drank,"  &c. — and  so 
perish."     Shepard's  Parable  of  the  Ten  Virgins,  P.  I.  p.  197,  198. 

j-"  Satan  is  transformed  into  an  angel  of  light:  and  hence  we  have  heard 
that  some  have  heard  voices;  some  have  seen  th^  very  blood  of  Christ  drop- 
ing  on  them,  and  his  wounds  in  his  side:  some  have  seen  a  great  light  shin- 
ing in  the  chamber;  some  have  been  wonderfully  affected  with  their  dreams: 
some  in  great  distress  have  had  inward  witness,  "  Thy  sins  are  forgiven;" 
and  hence  such  liberty  and  joy,  that  they  are  ready  to  leap  up  and  down  the 
chamber.  O  adulterous  generation!  this  is  natural  and  usual  with  men;  they 
would  fain  see  Jesus,  and  have  him  present  to  give  them  peace;  and  hence 
papists  have  his  images.  Wo  to  them  that  have  no  other  manifested  Christ, 
but  such  an  one."  Shepard's  Parable  of  the  Ten  Virgins,  P.  L  p.  189. 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  151 

knowledge  of  the  Most  High,  and  saw  the  vision  of  the  Almighty, 
falling  into  a  trance,"  Numb.  xxiv.  16,  17,  but  yet  had  no  man- 
ner of  spiritual  discovery  of  Christ;  that  Day  Star  never  spiritu- 
ally arose  in  his  heart,  he  being  but  a  natural  man. 

And  as  these  external  ideas  have  nothing  divine  or  spiritual  in 
their  nature,  and  nothing  but  what  natural  men,  without  any  new 
principles,  are  capable  of;  so  there  is  nothing  in  their  nature 
w^hich  requires  that  peculiar,  inimitable  and  unparalleled  exercise 
of  the  glorious  power  of  God,  in  order  to  their  production,  which 
it  has  been  shown  there  is  in  the  production  of  true  grace.  There 
appears  to  be  nothing  in  their  nature  above  the  power  of  the  de- 
vil. It  is  certainly  not  above  the  power  of  Satan  to  suggest 
thoughts  to  men;  because  otherwise  he  could  not  tempt  them  to 
sin.  And  if  he  can  suggest  any  thoughts  or  ideas  at  all,  doubt- 
less imaginary  ones,  or  ideas  of  things  external,  are  not  above  his 
power;!  for  the  external  ideas  men  have  are  the  lowest  sort  of 
ideas.  These  ideas  may  be  raised  only  by  impressions  made  on 
the  body,  by  moving  the  animal  spirits,  and  impressing  the  brain. 
Abundant  experience  does  certainly  show  that  alterations  in  the 
body  will  excite  imaginary  or  external  ideas  in  the  mind;  as  of- 
ten in  the  case  of  a  high  fever,  melancholy,  &c.  These  external 
ideas  are  as  much  below  the  more  intellectual  exercises  of  the 
soul,  as  the  body  is  a  less  noble  part  of  man  than  the  soul. 

And  there  is  not  only  nothing  in  the  nature  of  these  external 
ideas  or  imaginations  of  outward  appearances,  from  whence  we 
can  infer  that  they  are  above  the  power  of  the  devil;  but  it  is  cer- 
tain also  that  the  devil  can  excite,  and  often  hath  excited  such 
ideas.  They  were  external  ideas  which  he  excited  in  the  dreams 
and  visions  of  the  false  prophets  of  old,  who  were  under  the  in- 
fluence of  lying  spirits,  that  we  often  read  of  in  scripture,  as  Deut. 
xiii.  1,  1  Kings  xxii.  22,  Isa.  xxviii.  7,  Ezek.  xiii.  7.  And  they 

•  "  Consider  liow  difficult,  yea  and  impossible  it  is  to  determine  that  such 
a  voice,  vision,  or  revelation  is  of  God,  and  that  Satan  can  not  feign  or  coun- 
terfeit it:  seeing  lie  hath  left  no  certain  marks  by  which  we  may  distinguish 
one  spirit  from  another."  FlaveVs  Causes  and  Cures  of  Menlat  Terror.?, 
Cause  14. 


1521  FIRST  SIGN  OF 

were  external  ideas  that  he  often  excited  in  the  minds  of  the 
heathen  priests,  magicians  and  sorcerers,  in  their  visions  and  ec* 
stacies,  and  they  were  external  ideas  that  he  excited  in  the  mind 
of  the  man  Christ  Jesus,  when  he  showed  him  all  the  kingdoms 
of  the  world,  with  the  glory  of  them,  when  those  kingdoms  were 
not  really  in  sight. 

And  if  Satan,  or  any  created  being  has  power  to  impress  the 
mind  with  outward  representations,  then  no  particular  sort  of 
outward  representations  can  be  any  evidence  of  a  divine  power. 
Almighty  power  is  no  more  requisite  to  represent  the  shape  of 
man  to  the  imagination  than  the  shape  of  any  thing  else:  there 
is  no  higher  kind  of  power  necessary  to  form  in  the  brain  one 
bodily  shape  or  colour  than  another:  it  needs  a  no  more  glori- 
ous power  to  represent  the  form  of  the  body  of  a  man,  than  the 
form  of  a  chip  or  block;  though  it  be  of  a  very  beautiful  human 
body,  with  a  sweet  smile  in  his  countenance,  or  arms  open,  or 
blood  running  from  the  hands,  feet  and  side.  That  sojt  of  power 
which  can  represent  black  or  darkness  to  the  imagination,  can 
also  represent  white  and  shining  brightness.  The  power  and 
skill  which  can  well  and  exactly  paint  a  straAV,  or  a  stick  of 
wood  on  a  piece  of  paper  or  canvass;  the  same  in  kind,  only  per- 
haps further  improved,  will  be  sufficient  to  paint  the  body  of  a 
man^  with  great  beauty  and  in  royal  majesty,  or  a  magnificent 
city  paved  with  gold,  full  of  brightness,  and  a  glorious  throne, 
&c.  So  it  is  no  more  than  the  same  sort  of  power  that  is  requi- 
site to  paint  one  as  the  other  of  these  on  the  brain.  The  same 
sort  of  power  that  can  put  ink  upon  paper,  can  put  on  leaf  gold. 
So  that  it  is  evident  to  a  demonstration,  if  we  suppose  it  to  be  in 
the  devil's  power  to  make  any  sort  of  external  representation  at 
all  on  the  fancy  (as  without  doubt  it  is,  and  never  any  one  ques- 
tioned it  who  believed  there  was  a  devil,  that  had  any  agency 
with  mankind;)  I  say,  if  so,  it  is  demonstrably  evident,  that  a 
created  power  may  extend  to  all  kinds  of  external  appearances 
and  ideas  in  the  mind.  From  hence  it  again  clearly  appears, 
that  no  such  things  have  any  thing  in  them  that  is  spiritual,  su- 
pernatural and  divine,  in  the  sense  in  which  it  has  been  proved 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  153 

that  all  truly  gracious  experiences  have.  And  though  external 
ideas,  through  man's  make  and  frame,  do  ordinarily  in  some  de- 
gree attend  spiritual  experiences,  yet  these  ideas  are  no  part  of 
their  spiritual  experience,  any  more  than  the  motion  of  the  blood, 
and  beating  of  tiie  pulse,  that  attends  experiences,  are  a  part  of 
spiritual  experience.  And  though  undoubtedly,  through  mens 
infirmity  in  the  present  state,  and  especially  through  the  weak 
constitution  of  some  persons,  gracious  affections  which  are  very 
strong,  do  excite  lively  ideas  in  the  imagination;  yet  it  is  also  un- 
doubted, that  when  persons'  affections  are  founded  on  imagina- 
tions, which  is  often  the  case,  those  affections  are  merely  na- 
tural and  common,  because  they  are  built  on  a  foundation  that  is 
not  spiritual;  and  so  are  entirely  different  from  gracious  affec- 
tions, which,  as  has  been  proved,  do  evermore  arise  from  those 
operations  that  are  spiritual  and  divine. 

These  imaginations  do  oftentimes  raise  the  carnal  affections  of 
men  to  an  exceeding  great  height :f    and  no  wonder,  when  the 

f  There  is  a  remarkable  passage  of  Mr.  John  Smith,  in  his  discourse  on 
the  shortness  of  a  pharisaic  rijjhteousness,  p.  370,  371,  of  his  select  dis- 
courses, describing  that  sort  of  religion  which  is  built  on  such  a  foundation 
as  I  am  here  speaking  of.  I  can  not  forbear  tracing  the  whole  of  it.  Speak- 
ing of  a  sort  of  Christians,  whose  life  is  nothing  but  a  strong  energy  of 
fancy,  he  says,  "  Lest  their  religion  might  too  grossly  discover  itself  to  be 
nothing  else  but  a  piece  of  art,  there  may  be  sometimes  such  extraordinary 
motions  stirred  up  within  them,  which  may  prevent  all  their  own  thoughts, 
that  they  may  seem  to  be  a  true  operation  of  the  divine  life;  when  yet  all  this  is 
nothing  else  but  the  energy  of  their  own  self  love,  touched  with  some  fleshly 
apprehensions  of  divine  things,  and  excited  by  them.  There  are  such  things 
in  our  christian  religion,  when  a  carnal,  unhallowed  mind  takes  tlie  chair 
and  gets  the  expounding  of  them,  may  seem  very  delicious  to  the  fleshly 
appetites  of  men;  some  doctrines  and  notions  of  free  grace  and  justification, 
the  magnificent  titles  of  sons  of  God  and  heirs  of  heaven,  ever  flowing 
streams  of  joy  and  pleasure  that  blessed  souls  shall  swim  in  to  all  eternity,  a 
glorious  paradise  in  the  world  to  come,  always  springing  up  with  well 
scented  and  fragrant  beauties,  a  new  Jerusalem  paved  with  gold,  and  be- 
spangled with  stars,  comprehending  in  its  vast  circuit  such  numberless 
varieties,  that  a  busy  curiosity  may  spend  itself  about  to  all  eternity.  I  doubt 
not  but  that  sometimes  the  most  fleshly  and  earthly  men,  that  fly  in  their 
ambition  to  the  pomp  of  this  world,  may  be  so  ravished  with  the  conceits  of 


154  FIRST    SIGN    OF 

subjects  of  them  have  an  ignorant,  but  undoubted  persuasion, 
that  they  are  divine  manifestations,  which  the  great  Jehovah  im- 
mediately malies  to  their  souls,  therein  giving  them  testimonies 
in  an  extraordinary  manner,  of  his  high  and  peculiar  favour. 

Again,  it  is  evident  from  what  has  been  observed  and  proved 
of  the  manner  in  which  gracious  operations  and  effects  in  the 

such  things  as  these,  that  they  may  seem  to  be  made  partakers  of  the  powers 
of  the  world  to  come.  I  doubt  not  but  that  they  might  be  much  exalted 
with  them,  as  the  souls  of  crazed  or  distracted  persons  seem  to  be  some- 
times, when  their  fancies  play  with  those  quick  and  nimble  spirits,  which  a 
distempered  frame  of  body,  and  unnatural  heat  in  their  heads,  beget  witliin 
them.  Thus  may  these  blazing  comets  rise  up  above  the  moon,  and  climb 
higher  than  the  sun;  which  yet,  because  they  have  no  solid  consistence 
of  theii!  own,  and  are  of  a  base  and  earthly  alloy,  will  soon  vanish  and  fall 
ilown  again,  being  only  borne  up  by  an  external  force.  They  may  seem  to 
themselves  to  have  attained  higher  than  those  noble  Christians  that  are 
gently  moved  by  the  natural  force  of  true  goodness:  They  seem  to  be 
pletiiores  Deo  (i.  e.  more  full  of  God)  than  those  that  are  really  informed  and 
actuated  by  the  divine  Spirit,  and  do  move  on  steadily  and  constantly  in  the 
way  towards  heaven.  As  the  seed  that  was  sown  in  stony  ground,  grew  up 
and  lengthened  out  its  blade  faster  than  that  which  was  sown  in  the  good 
and  fruitful  soil.  And  as  the  motions  of  our  sense,  and  fancy,  and  passions, 
while  our  souls  are  in  this  mortal  condition,  sunk  down  deeply  into  the 
body,  are  many  times  more  vigorous,  and  make  stronger  impressions  upon 
us  than  those  of  the  higher  powers  of  the  soul  which  are  more  subtle  and 
remote  from  these  mixed  animal  perceptions:  that  devotion  which  is  there 
seated,  may  seem  to  have  more  energy  and  life  in  it,  than  that  which  gently, 
and  with  a  more  delicate  kind  of  touch  spreads  itself  upon  the  understand- 
ing, and  from  thence  mildly  derives  itself  through  our  wills  and  affections. 
But  however  the  former  may  be  more  boisterous  for  a  time,  yet  this  is  of  a 
more  consistent,  spermatical  and  thriving  nature.  For  that  proceeding  in- 
deed from  nothing  but  a  sensual  and  fleshly  apprehension  of  God  and  true 
happiness,  is  but  of  a  flitting  and  fading  nature;  and  as  the  sensible  powers 
and  faculties  grow  more  languid,  or  the  sun  of  divine  light  shines  more 
brightly  upon  us,  these  earthly  devotions,  like  our  culinary  fires,  will  abate 
their  heat  and  fervour.  But  a  true  celestial  warmth  will  never  be  extin- 
guished, because  it  is  of  an  immortal  nature;  and  being  once  seated  vitally 
jn  the  souls  of  men,  it  will  regulate  and  order  all  the  motions  of  it  in  a  due 
manner,  as  the  natural  heat,  radicated  in  the  hearts  of  living  creatures,  hath 
the  dominion  and  economy  of  the  whole  body  under  it.  True  religion  is  no 
piece  of  artifice;  it  is  no  boiling  up  of  our  imaginative  powers,  nor  the  glow- 
ing beats  of  passion;  though  these  are  too  often  mistaken  for  it,  when  in  our 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS,  155 

"  heart  are  spiritual,  supernatural  and  divine,  that  the  immediate. 
suggesting  of  the  words  of  scripture  to  the  mind  has  nothing  in  it 
j^ich  is  spiritual. 

I  have  had  occasion  to  say  something  of  this  already;  and 
what  has  been  said  may  be  sufficient  to  evince  it;  but  if  the 
reader  bears  in  mind  what  has  been  said  concerning  the  nature 
of  spiritual  influences  and  effects,  it  will  be  more  abundantly 
manifest  that  this  is  no  spiritual  elfect.  For  I  suppose  there  is 
no  person  of  common  understanding,  who  will  say  or  imagine 
that  the  bringing  words  (let  them  be  what  words  they  will)  to 
the  mind,  is  an  effect  of  that  nature  which  it  is  impossible  the 
mind  of  a  natural  man,  while  he  remains  in  a  state  of  nature, 
should  be  the  subject  of,  or  any  thing  like  it;  or  that  it  requires 
any  new  divine  sense  in  the  soul;  or  that  the  bringing  sounds  or 
letters  to  the  mind,  is  an  effect  of  so  high,  holy  and  excellent  a 
nature,  that  it  is  impossible  any  created  power  should  be  the 
cause  of  it. 

As  the  suggesting  words  of  scripture  to  the  mind,  is  only  the 
exciting  in  the  mind  ideas  of  certain  sounds  or  letters;  so  it  is 
only  one  way  of  exciting  ideas  in  the  imagination;  for  sounds  and 
letters  are  external  things,  that  are  the  objects  of  the  external 
senses  of  seeing  and  hearing.  Ideas  of  certain  marks  upon  pa- 
per, such  as  any  of  the  twenty-four  letters,  in  whatever  order,  or 
any  sounds  of  the  voice,  are  as  much  external  ideas,  as  of  any 
other  shapes  or  sounds  whatsoever;  and  therefore,  by  what  has 
been  already  said  concerning  these  external  ideas,  it  is  evident 
they  are  nothing  spiritual;  and  if  at  any  time  the  Spirit  of  God 
suggests  these  letters  or  sounds  to  the  mind,  this  is  a  common, 
and  not  any  special  or  gracious  influence  of  that  Spirit.     And 

juggl'ings  in  religion  we  cast  a  mist  before  our  own  e3'es:  but  it  is  a  new 
nature,  informing  the  souls  of  men;  itf  is  a  godlike  frame  of  spirit,  disco- 
vering itself  most  of  all  in  serene  and  clear  minds,  in  deep  Immilit}',  meek- 
ness, self  denial,  universal  love  to  God  and  all  true  goodness,  without  par- 
tiality, and  without  iiypocrisy,  whereby  we  are  taught  to  know  God,  and 
knowing  him  to  love  him,  and  conform  ourselves  as  mnch  as  may  be  to  al! 
that  perfection  which  shines  in  him. 


156  FIRST  SIGN  OF 

therefore  it  ibilows  from  what  has  been  ah'eady  proved,  that 
those  affections  which  have  this  effect  for  their  foundation,  are  no 
spiritual  or  gracious  affections.  But  let  it  be  observed  what  [\  is 
that  I  say,  viz.  when  this  effect,  even  the  immediate  and  extra- 
ordinary manner  of  words  of  scripture,  coming  to  the  mind,  is 
that  which  excites  the  affections,  and  is  properly  ihe  foundation 
of  them,  then  these  affections  are  not  spiritual.  It  may  be  so, 
that  persons  may  have  gracious  affections  going  with  scriptures 
which  come  to  their  minds,  and  the  Spirit  of  God  may  make  use 
of  those  scriptures  to  excite  them;  when  it  is  some  spiritual  sense, 
taste  or  relish  they  have  of  the  divine  and  excellent  things  con- 
tained in  those  scriptures,  that  is  the  thing  which  excites  their  af- 
fections, and  not  the  extraordinary  and  sudden  manner  of  words 
being  brought  to  their  minds.  They  are  affected  with  the  in- 
struction they  receive  from  the  words,  and  the  view  of  the  glori- 
ous things  of  God  or  Christ,  and  things  appertaining  to  them,  that 
they  contain  and  teach;  and  not  because  the  words  came  sudden- 
ly, as  though  some  person  had  spoken  them  to  them,  thence  con- 
cluding that  God  did  as  it  were  immediately  speak  to  them.  Per- 
sons oftentimes  are  exceedingly  affected  on  this  foundation;  the 
words  of  some  great  and  high  promises  of  scripture  came  sudden- 
ly to  their  minds,  and  they  look  upon  the  words  as  directed  im- 
mediately by  God  to  them,  as  though  the  words  that  moment  pro- 
ceeded out  of  the  mouth  of  God  as  spoken  to  them:  so  that  they 
take  it  as  a  voice  from  God,  immediately  revealing  to  them  their 
happy  circumstances,  and  promising  such  and  such  great  things 
to  them:  and  this  it  is  that  affects  and  elevates  them.  There  is 
KO  new  spiritual  understanding  of  the  divine  things  contained  in  the 
scripture,  or  new  spiritual  sense  of  the  glorious  things  taught  in  that 
part  of  the  Bible  going  before  their  affection,  and  being  the  founda- 
tion of  it.  All  the  new  understanding  they  have,  or  think  they  have,  to 
be  the  foundation  of  their  affection,  is  this,  that  the  words  are  spo- 
ken to  them,  because  they  come  so  suddenly  and  extraordinarily. 
And  so  this  affection  is  built  wholly  on  the  sand!  because  it  is 
built  on  a  conclusion  for  which  they  have  no  foundation.  For,  as 
has  been  shown,  the  sudden  coming  of  the  words  to  their  minds, 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  157 

is  no  evidence  that  the  bringing  them  to  their  minds  in  that  man- 
ner was  from  God.  And  if  it  was  true  that  God  brought  the 
w.ords  to  their  minds,  and  they  certainly  knew  it,  that  would  not 
be  spiritual  knowledge;  it  may  be  without  any  spiritual  sense. 
Balaam  might  know  that  the  words  which  God  suggested  to  him, 
were  indeed  suggested  to  him  by  God,  and  yet  have  no  spiritual 
knowledge.  So  that  these  affections  which  are  built  on  that  no- 
tion, that  texts  of  scripture  are  sent  immediately  from  God,  are 
built  on  no  spiritual  foundation,  and  are  vain  and  delusive.  Per- 
sons who  have  their  affections  thus  raised,  if  they  should  be  in- 
quired of;  whether  they  have  any  new  sense  of  the  excellency  of 
things  contained  in  those  scriptures,  would  probably  say,  Fes, 
withous  hesitation:  but  it  is  true  no  otherwise  than  thus,  that  when 
they  have  taken  up  that  notion,  that  the  words  are  spoken  imme- 
diately to  them  that  makes  them  seem  sweet  to  them,  and  they  own 
the  things  which  these  scriptures  say  to  them,  for  excellent  things 
and  wonderful  things.  As  for  instance,  supposing  these  were  the 
^vords  which  were  suddenly  brought  to  their  minds,  Fear  not,  it 
is  your  Fatherh  good  pleasure  to  give  you  the  kingdom;  they  have 
confidently  taken  up  a  notion  that  the  words  were,  as  it  were,  im- 
mediately spoken  from  heaven  to  them,  as  an  immediate  revela- 
tion that  God  was  their  Father,  and  had  given  the  kingdom  to 
them,  they  are  greatly  affected  by  it,  and  the  words  seem  sweet 
to  them;  and  oh,  they  say,  "  they  are  excellent  things  that  are 
contained  in  those  words!"  But  the  reason  why  the  promise 
seems  excellent  to  them,  is  only  because  they  think  it  is  made  to 
them  immediately;  all  the  sense  they  have  of  any  glory  in  them, 
is  only  from  self-love,  and  from  their  own  imagined  interest  in  the 
words;  not  that  they  had  any  view  or  sense  of  the  holy  and  glori- 
ous nature  of  the  kingdom  of  heaven  and  the  spiritual  glory  of 
that  God  who  gives  it,  and  of  his  excellent  grace  to  sinful  men, 
in  offering  and  giving  them  this  kingdom  of  his  own  good  plea- 
sure, preceding  their  imagined  interest  in  these  things,  and  their 
being  affected  by  them,  and  being  the  foundation  of  their  affec- 
tion, and  hope  of  an  interest  in  them.  On  the  contrary,  they  first 
imagine  they  are  interested,  and  then  are  highly  affected  with 


15S  FIRST  SIGN  OF 

that,  and  then  can  own  these  things  to  be  excellent.  So  that  the 
sudden  and  extraordinary  way  of  the  scripture's  coming  to  their 
mind  is  plainly  the  first  foundation  of  the  whole;  which  is  a  clear 
evidence  of  the  wretched  delusion  they  are  under. 

The  first  comfort  of  many  persons,  and  what  they  call  their 
conversion,  is  after  this  manner:  after  awakening  and  terror, 
some  comfortable  sweet  promise  comes  suddenly  and  wonderfully 
to  their  minds;  and  the  manner  of  its  coming  makes  them  con- 
clude it  comes  from  God  to  them;  and  this  is  the  very  thing  that 
is  all  the  foundation  of  their  faith  and  hope  and  comfort:  from 
hence  they  take  their  first  encouragement  to  trust  in  God  and  in 
Christ,  because  they  think  that  God,  by  some  scripture  so  brought, 
has  now  already  revealed  to  them  that  he  loves  them,  and  has 
already  promised  them  eternal  life,  which  is  very  absurd;  for 
every  one  of  common  knowledge  of  the  principles  of  religion, 
knows  that  it  is  God's  manner  to  reveal  his  love  to  men,  and  their 
interest  in  the  promises,  after  they  have  believed,  and  not  before, 
because  they  must  first  believe  before  they  have  any  interest  in 
the  promises  to  be  revealed.  The  Spirit  of  God  is  a  Spirit  of 
truth  and  not  of  lies:  he  does  not  bring  scriptures  to  mens  minds 
to  reveal  to  them  that  they  have  an  interest  in  God's  favour  and 
promises  when  they  have  none,  having  not  yet  believed:  which 
would  be  the  case,  if  God's  bringing  texts  of  scripture  to  mens 
minds  to  reveal  to  them  that  their  sins  were  forgiven,  or  that  it 
was  God's  pleasure  to  give  them  the  kingdom,  or  any  thing  of 
that  nature,  went  before,  and  was  the  foundation  of  their  first 
faith.  No  promise  of  the  covenant  of  grace  belongs  to  any  man, 
until  he  has  first  believed  in  Christ;  for  it  is  by  faith  alone  that 
we  become  interested  in  Christ,  and  the  promises  of  the  new 
covenant  made  in  him:  and  therefore  whatever  spirit  applies  the 
promises  of  that  covenant  to  a  person  who  has  not  first  believed, 
as  being  already  his,  must  be  a  lying  spirit,  and  that  faith  which 
is  first  built  on  such  an  application  of  promises,  is  built  upon  a 
lie.  God's  manner  is  not  to  bring  comfortable  texts  of  scripture 
to  give  men  assurance  of  his  love,  and  that  they  shall  be  happy 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  159 

before  they  have  had  a  faith  of  dependence.!  And  if  the  scrip- 
ture which  comes  to  a  person's  mind  be  not  so  properly  a  promise 
as  an  invitation;  yet  if  he  makes  the  sudden  or  unusual  manner 
of  the  invitation's  coming  to  his  mind,  the  ground  on  which  he 

f  Mr.  Stoddard  in  liis  Guide  to  Christ,  p.  8.  says,  that  "sometimes  men, 
after  they  have  been  in  trouble  a  while,  have  some  promises  come  to  them, 
with  a  great  deal  of  refreshing;  and  they  hope  God  has  accepted  them:" 
And  says  that,  "  In  this  case,  the  minister  may  tell  them,  that  God  never 
gives  a  faith  of  assurance,  before  he  gives  a  faith  of  dependence;  for  he 
never  manifests  his  love  until  men  are  in  a  state  of  favour  and  reconciliation, 
which  is  by  faith  of  dependence.  When  men  have  comfortable  scriptures 
come  to  them,  they  are  apt  to  take  them  as  tokens  of  God's  love:  but  men 
must  be  brought  into  Chr^t,  by  accepting  the  offer  of  the  gospel,  before 
they  are  fit  for  such  manifestations.  God's  method  is,  first  to  make  the  soul 
accept  of  the  offers  of  grace,  and  then  to  manifest  his  good  estate  unto 
him."  And  p.  76,  speaking  of  them  "  that  seem  to  be  brought  to  lie  at 
God's  foot,  and  give  an  account  of  their  closing  with  Christ,  and  that  God 
has  revealed  Christ  to  them,  and  drawn  their  hearts  to  him,  and  they  do 
accept  of  Christ,"  he  says,  "  In  this  case,  it  is  best  to  examine  whether  by 
that  light  that  was  given  him,  he  saw  Christ  and  salvation  offered  to  him, 
or  whether  he  saw  that  God  loved  him,  or  pardoned  him:  for  the  offer  of 
grace  and  our  acceptance  goes  before  pardon,  and  therefore  much  more 
before  the  knowledge  of  it. 

Mr.  Shepard,  in  his  Parable  of  the  Ten  Virghis,  Part  II.  p.  15,  says,  that 
"  Grace  and  the  love  of  Christ  (the  fairest  colours  under  the  sun)  may  be 
pretended;  but  if  you  shall  receive,  under  this  appearance,  that  God  wit- 
nesseth  his  love,  first  by  an  absolute  promise,  take  heed  there;  for  under 
lliis  appearance  you  may  as  well  bring  in  immediate  revelations,  and  from 
thence  come  to  forsake  the  scriptures." 

And  in  Part  I.  p.  86,  he  says,  "  Is  Christ  yours?  Yes,  I  see  it.  How?  By 
any  word  or  promise?  No;  this  is  delusion."  And  p.  136,  speaking  of  them 
that  have  no  solid  ground  of  peace,  he  reckons,  "  Those  that  content  them- 
selves with  the  revelation  of  the  Lord's  love  without  the  sight  of  any  work, 
or  not  looking  to  it."  And  says  presently  after,  "  The  testimony  of  the 
Spirit  does  not  make  a  man  more  a  Christian,  but  only  evidenceth  it;  as  it 
is  the  nature  of  a  witness  not  to  make  a  thing  to  be  true,  but  to  clear 
and  evidence  it."  And  p.  140.  Speaking  of  them  that  say  they  have  the 
witness  of  the  Spirit,  that  makes  a  difference  between  them  and  hypocrites, 
he  says,  "  the  witness  of  the  Spirit  makes  not  the  first  difference:  for  first 
a  man  is  a  believer,  and  in  Christ,  and  justified,  called  and  sanctified,  be- 
fore the  Spirit  does  witness  it;  else  the  Spirit  should  witness  to  an  untruth 
and  lie." 


160  l-'IRST  SIGN  Of 

believes  that  he  is  invited,  it  is  not  true  fliith;  because  it  is  built 
on  that  which  is  not  the  true  ground  of  faith.  True  faith  is  built 
on  no  precarious  foundation:  but  a  determination  that  the  words- 
of  such  a  particular  text  were,  by  the  immediate  power  of  God, 
suggested  to  the  mind  at  such  a  time,  as  though  then  spoken  and 
directed  by  God  to  him,  because  the  words  came  after  such  a 
manner,  is  wholly  an  uncertain  and  precarious  determination,  as 
has  been  now  shown;  and  therefore  is  a  false  and  sandy  founda- 
tion for  faith;  and  accordingly  that  faith  which  is  built  upon  it  is 
false.  The  only  certain  foundation  which  any  person  has  to  be- 
lieve that  he  is  invited  to  partake  of  the  blessings  of  the  gospel, 
is,  that  the  word  of  God  declares  that  persons  so  qualified  as  he 
is,  are  invited,  and  God  who  declares  it,  is  true  and  can  not  lie. 
If  a  sinner  be  once  convinced  of  the  veracity  of  God,  and  that 
the  scriptures  are  his  word,  he  will  need  no  more  to  convince  and 
satisfy  him  that  he  is  invited;  for  the  scriptures  are  full  of  invi- 
tations to  sinners,  to  the  chief  of  sinners,  to  come  and  partake  of 
the  benefits  of  the  gospel;  he  will  not  want  any  new  speaking  of 
God  to  him;  what  he  hath  spoken  adready  will  be  enough  ^vith 
him. 

As  the  first  comfort  of  many  persons,  and  their  affections  at 
the  time  of  their  supposed  conversion,  are  built  on  such  grounds 
as  these  which  have  been  mentioned;  so  are  their  joys  and 
hopes  and  other  affections,  from  time  to  time  afterwards.  They 
have  often  particular  words  of  scripture,  sweet  declarations  and 
promises  suggested  to  them,  which  by  reason  of  the  manner  of 
their  coming,  they  think  are  immediately  sent  from  God  to  them 
at  that  time,  which  they  look  upon  as  their  warrant  to  take 
them,  and  which  they  actually  make  the  main  ground  of  their 
appropriating  them  to  themselves,  and  of  the  comfort  they  take 
in  them,  and  the  confidence  they  receive  from  them.  Thus  they 
imagine  a  kind  of  conversation  is  carried  on  between  God  and 
them;  and  that  God,  from  time  to  time,  does  as  it  were,  imme- 
diately speak  to  them  and  satisfy  their  doubts,  and  testifies  his 
love  to  them,  and  promises  them  supports  and  supplies,  and  his 
blessing  in  such  and  such  cases,  and  reveals  to  them  clearly 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  16t 

their  interest  in  eternal  blessings.  And  thus  they  are  often  ele- 
vated, and  have  a  course  of  a  sudden  and  tumultuous  kind  of 
joys,  mingled  with  a  strong  contidence  and  high  opinion  of  them- 
selves; when  indeed  the  main  ground  of  these  joys  and  this  con- 
tidence, is  not  any  thing  contained  in,  or  taught  by  these  scrip- 
tures, as  they  lie  in  the  Bible,  but  the  manner  of  their  coming  to 
them;  which  is  a  certain  evidence  of  their  delusion.  There  is 
no  particular  promise  in  the  word  of  God  that  is  the  saint's,  or  is 
any  otherwise  made  to  him,  or  spoken  to  him,  than  all  the  pro- 
mises of  the  covenant  of  grace  are  his,  and  are  made  to  him  and 
spoken  to  him;t  though  it  be  true  that  some  of  these  promises 
may  be  more  particularly  adapted  to  his  case  than  others,  and 
God  by  his  Spirit  may  enable  him  better  to  understand  some 
than  others,  and  to  have  a  greater  sense  of  the  preciousness  and 
glory,  and  suitableness  of  the  blessings  contained  in  them. 

But  here  some  may  be  ready  to  say.  What!  is  there  no  such 
thing  as  any  particular  spiritual  application  of  the  promises  of 
scripture  by  the  Spirit  of  God?  I  answer,  there  is  doubtless  such 
a  thing  as  a  spiritual  and  saving  application  of  the  invitations  and 
promises  of  scripture  to  the  souls  of  men;  but  it  is  also  certain 
that  the  nature  of  it  is  wholly  misunderstood  by  m'any  persons,  to 
the  great  ensnaring  of  their  own  souls,  and  the  giving  Satan  a 
vast  advantage  against  them,  and  against  the  interest  of  religion 
and  the  church  of  God.  The  spiritual  application  of  a  scripture 
promise  does  not  consist  in  its  being  immediately  suggested  to  the 

■j-Mr.  Shepard,  in  his  Sound  Believer,  p.  159,  of  the  late  impression  at 
IJoston,  says,  "  Embrace  in  thy  bosom  not  only  some  few  promises,  but  all." 
And  then  he  asks  the  question,  "  When  may  a  Christian  take  a  promise 
witliout  presumption,  as  spoken  to  him?"  lie  answers,  "  Tlie  rule  is  very 
sweet,  but  certain — when  he  takes  all  the  scripture,  and  embraces  it  as 
spoken  unto  him,  he  may  then  take  any  particular  jjromise  boldly.  My 
meaning  is,  when  a  Christian  takes  hold  and  wrestles  with  God  lor  the  ac- 
complishment of  all  the  promises  of  the  New  Testament,  when  he  sets  all 
the  commands  before  him,  as  a  compass  and  guide  to  walk  after,  when  he 
apphes  all  the  threatenings  to  drive  him  nearer  unto  Christ,  the  end  of 
them.  This  no  hypocrite  can  do:  this  the  saints  shall  do:  and  by  this  they 
may  know  when  the  Lord  speaks  in  particular  unto  them." 


162  FIRST    SIGN    OF 

tlioughts  by  some  extrinsic  agent,  and  being  borne  into  the  mind 
with  this  strong  apprehension,  that  it  is  particularly  spoken  and 
directed  to  them  at  that  time;  there  is  nothing  of  the  evidence  of 
the  hand  of  God  in  this  effect,  as  events  have  proved,  in  many 
notorious  instances;  and  it  is  a  mean  notion  of  a  spiritual  appli- 
cation of  scripture;  there  is  nothing  in  the  nature  of  it  at  all  be- 
yond the  power  of  the  devil,  if  he  be  not  restrained  by  God;  for 
there  is  nothing  in  the  nature  of  the  effect  that  is  spiritual,  im- 
plying any  vital  communication  of  God.  A  truly  spiritual  appli- 
cation of  the  word  of  God  is  of  a  vastly  higher  nature;  as  much 
above  the  devil's  power,  as  it  is  so  to  apply  the  word  of  God  to 
a  dead  corpse,  as  to  raise  it  to  life;  or  to  a  stone,  to  turn  it  into 
an  angel.  A  spiritual  application  of  the  word  of  God  consists  in 
applying  it  to  the  heart,  in  spiritually  enlightening,  sanctifying 
influences.  A  spiritual  application  of  an  invitation  or  offer  of  the 
gospel  consists,  in  giving  the  soul  a  spiritual  sense  or  relish  of  the 
holy  and  divine  blessings  offered,  and  also  the  sweet  and  wonder- 
ful grace  of  the  offerer,  in  making  so  gracious  an  offer,  and  of  his 
holy  excellency  and  faithfulness  to  fulfd  what  he  offers,  and  his 
glorious  sufficiency  for  it;  so  leading  and  drawing  forth  the  heart 
to  embrace  the  offer;  and  thus  giving  the  man  evidence  of  his 
title  to  the  thing  offered.  And  so  a  spiritual  application  of  the 
promises  of  scripture  for  the  comfort  of  the  saints,  consists  in  en 
lightening  their  minds  to  see  the  holy  excellency  and  sweetness 
of  the  blessings  promised,  and  also  the  holy  excellency  of  the  pro- 
miser,  and  his  faithfulness  and  sufficiency;  thus  drawing  forth 
their  hearts  to  embrace  the  promiser  and  thing  promised;  and  by 
this  means  giving  the  sensible  actings  of  grace,  enabling  them  to 
see  their  grace,  and  so  their  title  to  the  promise.  An  application 
not  consisting  in  this  divine  sense  and  enlightening  of  the  mind, 
but  consisting  only  in  the  word's  being  born  into  the  thoughts,  as 
if  immediately  then  spoken,  so  making  persons  bejieve  on  no 
other  foundation,  that  the  promise  is  theirs,  is  a  blind  application, 
and  belongs  to  the  spirit  of  darkness,  and  not  of  light. 

When  persons  have  their  affections  raised  after  this  manner, 
those  affections  are  really  not  raised  by  the  word  of  God;  the 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  163 

scripture  Is  not  tlie  foundation  of  them;  it  is  not  any  tiling  con- 
tained in  those  scriptures  which  come  to  their  minds,  that  raise 
tlieir  affections;  but  truly  that  effect,  viz.  the  strange  manner  of 
the  Avord's  being  suggested  to  their  minds,  and  a  proposition  from 
thence  taken  up  by  them,  which  indeed  is  not  contained  in  that 
scripture  nor  any  other,  as  that  his  sins  are  forgiven  him,  or  that 
it  is  the  Father's  good  pleasure  to  give  him  in  particular  the 
kingdom,  or  the  like.  There  are  propositions  to  be  found  in  the 
Bible,  declaring  that  persons  of  such  and  such  qualifications  are 
forgiven  and  beloved  of  God:  but  there  are  no  propositions  to  be 
found  in  the  Bible,  declaring  that  such  and  such  particular  per- 
sons, independent  on  any  previous  knowledge  of  any  qualifica- 
tions, are  forgiven  and  beloved  of  God:  and,  therefore,  when  any 
person  is  comforted,  and  affected  by  any  such  proposition,  it  is  by 
another  word,  a  word  newly  coined,  and  not  any  word  of  God 
contained  in  the  Bible. f  And  thus  many  persons  are  vainly  af- 
fected and  deluded. 

Again;  it  plainly  appears  from  what  has  been  demonstrated, 
that  no  revelation  of  secret  facts  by  immediate  suggestion  is  any 
thing  spiritual  and  divine  in  that  sense  wherein  gracious  effects 
and  operations  are  so. 

By  secret  facts  I  mean  things  that  have  been  done  or  are  come 
to  pass,  or  shall  hereafter  come  to  pass,  which  are  secret  in  that 
sense  that  they  do  not  appear  to  the  senses,  nor  are  known  by 
any  argumentation,  or  any  evidence  to  reason,  nor  any  other  way, 

f  "  Some  Christians  have  rested  with  a  work  witliout  Christ,  which  is 
abominable:  but  after  a  man  is  in  Christ,  not  to  judge  by  the  work,  is  first 
not  to  judge  from  a  word.  For  though  there  is  a  word  which  may  give  a 
man  a  dependence  on  Christ,  without  feeling  any  work,  nay,  when  he  feels 
none,  as  absolute  promises;  yet  no  word  giving  assurance,  but  that  which  is 
made  to  some  work,  he  that  believeth,  or  is  poor  in  spirit,  &c.  until  that 
work  is  seen,  has  no  assurance  from  that  promise."  Shepard's  Parable  of  the 
Te?i  Vir^i7i»,  Part  I.  p.  86. 

"  If  God  should  tell  a  saint  that  he  has  grace,  he  might  know  it  by  be- 
lieving the  word  of  God:  but  it  is  not  in  this  way  that  godly  men  do  know- 
that  they  have  grace:  it  is  not  revealed  in  the  word,  and  the  Spirit  of  God 
doth  not  testify  it  to  particular  persons  "  StmldnrrVs  .XnUirp  of  Saving  Coit- 
■•frsion,  p.  84,  8.5, 


164  FIRST    SIGN    OF 

but  only  by  that  revelation  by  immediate  suggestion  of  the  ideas 
of  them  to  the  mind.  Thus,  for  instance,  if  it  should  be  revealed 
to  me  that  the  next  year  this  land  would  be  invaded  by  a  fleet 
from  France,  or  that  such  and  such  persons  would  then  be  con- 
verted, or  that  I  myself  should  then  be  converted,  not  by  enabling 
me  to  argue  out  these  events  from  any  thing  which  now  appears 
in  providence,  but  immediately  suggesting  and  bearing  in  upon 
my  mind,  in  an  extraordinary  manner,  the  apprehension  or  ideas 
of  these  facts,  with  a  strong  suggestion  or  impression  on  my  mind, 
that  I  had  no  hand  in  myself,  that  these  things  would  come  to 
pass:  or  if  it  should  be  revealed  to  me,  that  this  day  there  is  a 
battle  fought  between  the  armies  of  such  and  such  powers  in 
Europe;  or  that  such  a  prince  in  Europe  was  this  day  converted, 
or  is  now  in  a  converted  state,  having  been  converted  formerly, 
or  that  one  of  my  neighbours  is  converted,  or  that  I  myself  am 
converted;  not  by  having  any  other  evidence  of  any  of  these  facts 
from  whence  I  argue  them,  but  an  immediate  extraordinary^  sug- 
gestion or  excitation  of  these  ideas,  and  a  strong  impression  of 
them  upon  my  mind:  this  is  a  revelation  of  secret  facts  by  im- 
mediate suggestion  as  much  as  if  the  facts  were  future;  for  the 
facts  being  past,  present,  or  future,  alters  not  the  case,  as  long  as 
they  are  secret  and  hidden  from  my  senses  and  reason,  and  not 
spoken  of  in  scripture,  nor  known  by  me  any  other  way  than  by 
immediate  suggestion.  If  I  have  it  revealed  to  me  that  such  a 
revolution  is  come  to  pass  this  day  in  the  Ottoman  empire,  it  is 
the  very  same  sort  of  revelation  as  if  it  were  revealed  to  me  that 
such  a  revolution  would  come  to  pass  there  this  day  come  twelve- 
month; because,  though  one  is  present  and  the  other  future,  y.et 
both  are  equally  hidden  from  me,  any  other  way  than  by  imme- 
diate revelation.  When  Samuel  told  Saul  that  the  asses  which 
he  went  to  seek  were  found,  and  that  his  father  had  left  caring 
for  the  asses  and  sorrowed  for  him,  this  was  by  the  same  kind  of 
revelation  as  that  by  which  he  told  Saul  that  in  the  plain  of  Tabor 
there  should  meet  him  three  men  going  up  to  God  to  Bethel,  (1 
Sam.  X.  2,  3.)  though  one  of  these  things  was  future,  and  the 
other  was  not.     So  when  Elisha  told  the  king  of  Israel  the  words 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  16^ 

that  the  king  of  Syria  spake  in  his  bed  chamber,  it  was  by  the 
same  kind  of  revelation  with  that  by  which  he  foretold  many 
things  to  come. 

It  is  evident  that  this  revelation  of  secret  facts  by  immediate 
suggestions,  has  nothing  of  the  nature  of  a  spiritual  and  divine 
operation  in  the  sense  forementioned;  there  is  nothing  at  all  in 
the  nature  of  the  perceptions  or  ideas  themselves,  which  are  ex- 
cited in  the  mind,  that  is  divinely  excellent,  and  so  far  above  all 
the  ideas  of  natural  men,  though  the  manner  of  exciting  the  ideas 
be  extraordinary.  In  those  things  which  are  spiritual,  as  has 
been  shown,  not  only  the  manner  of  producing  the  effect,  but  the 
effect  wrought  is  divine,  and  so  vastly  above  all  that  can  be  in  an 
unsanctified  mind.  Now  simply  the  having  an  idea  of  facts,  set- 
ting aside  the  manner  of  producing  those  ideas,  is  nothing  beyond 
what  the  minds  of  wicked  men  are  susceptible  of,  without  any 
goodness  in  them;  and  they  all,  either  have  or  will  have,  the 
knowledge  of  the  truth  of  the  greatest  and  most  important  facts 
that  have  been,  are,  or  shall  be. 

And  as  to  the  extraordinaiy  manner  of  producing  the  ideas  or 
perception  of  facts,  even  by  immediate  suggestion,  there  is  nothing 
in  it  but  what  the  minds  of  natural  men,  while  they  are  yet  natu- 
ral men,  are  capable  of;  as  is  manifest  in  Balaam,  and  others 
spoken  of  in  the  scripture.  And  therefore  it  appears  that  there  is 
nothing  appertaining  to  this  immediate  suggestion  of  secret  facts 
that  is  spiritual,  in  the  sense  in  which  it  has  been  proved  that 
gracious  operations  are  so.  If  there  be  nothing  in  the  ideas  them- 
selves  which  is  holy  and  divine,  and  so  nothing  but  what  may  be 
in  a  mind  not  sanctified,  then  God  can  put  them  into  the  mind  b} 
immediate  power,  without  sanctifying  it.  As  there  is  nothing  in  the 
idea  of  a  rainbow  itself  that  is  of  a  holy  and  divine  nature;  so  that 
nothing  hinders  but  that  an  unsanctified  mind  may  receive  that 
idea;  so  God,  if  he  pleases,  and  when  he  pleases,  immediate- 
ly and  in  an  extraordinary  manner,  may  excite  that  idea  in  an 
unsanctified  mind.  So  also,  as  there  is  nothing  in  the  idea  or 
knowledge  that  such  and  such  particular  persons  are  forgiven  and 
accepted  of  God,  and  entitled  to  heaven,  but  what  unsanctified 


166  FIRST  SIGN  OF 

minds  may  have  and  will  have  concerning  many  at  the  day  of 
judgment;  so  God  can,  if  he  pleases,  extraordinarily  and  imme- 
diately suggest  this  to  and  impress  it  upon  an  unsanctified  mind 
now:  there  is  no  principle  wanting  in  an  unsanctified  mind  to  make 
it  capable  of  such  a  suggestion  or  impression,  nor  is  there  any 
thing  in  it  to  exclude,  or  necessarily  to  prevent  such  a  suggestion. 

And  if  these  suggestions  of  secret  facts  be  attended  with  texts 
of  scripture,  immediately  and  extraordinarily  brought  to  mind, 
about  some  other  facts  that  seem  in  some  respects  similar,  that 
does  not  make  the  operation  to  be  of  a  spiritual  and  divine  nature. 
For  that  suggestion  of  words  of  scripture  is  no  more  divine  than 
the  suggestion  of  the  facts  themselves;  as  has  been  just  now  de- 
monstrated: and  two  effects  together,  which  are  neither  of  them 
spiritual,  can  not  make  up  one  complex  effect  that  is  spiritual. 

Hence  it  follows,  from  what  has  been  already  shown,  and  of- 
ten repeated,  that  those  affections  which  are  properly  founded  on 
such  immediate  suggestions  or  supposed  suggestions  of  secret  facts, 
are  not  gracious  affections.  Not  but  that  it  is  possible  that  such 
suggestions  may  be  the  occasion  or  accidental  cause  of  gracious 
affections;  for  so  may  a  mistake  and  delusion;  but  it  is  never  pro- 
perly the  foundation  of  gracious  affections:  for  gracious  affections, 
as  has  been  shown,  are  all  the  effects  of  an  influence  and  opera- 
tion which  is  spiritual,  supernatural  and  divine.  But  there  are 
many  affections,  and  high  affections,  which  some  have,  that  have 
such  kind  of  suggestions  or  revelations  for  their  very  foundation :  they 
look  upon  these  as  spiritual  discoveries,  which  is  a  gross  delusion, 
and  this  delusion  is  truly  the  spring  whence  their  affections  flow. 

Here  it  may  be  proper  to  observe,  that  it  is  exceedingly  mani- 
fest from  what  has  been  said,  that  what  many  persons  call  the 
witness  of  the  Spirit,  that  they  are  the  children  of  God,  has  no- 
thing in  it  spiritual  and  divine;  and  consequently  that  the  affec- 
tions built  upon  it  are  vain  and  delusive.  That  which  many  call 
the  witness  of  the  Spirit,  is  no  other  than  an  immediate  sugges- 
tion and  impression  of  that  fact,  otherwise  secret,  that  they  are 
converted,  or  made  the  children  of  God,  and  so  that  their  sins  are 
pardoned,  and  that  God  has  given  them  a  title  to  heaven.  This 
kind  of  knowledge,  viz.  knowing  that  a  certain  person  is  convert- 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  167 

ed,  and  delivered  from  hell,  and  entitled  to  heaven,  is  no  divine 
sort  of  knowledge  in  itself  This  sort  of  fact  is  not  that  which 
requires  any  higher  or  more  divine  kind  of  suggestion,  in  order  to 
imjDress  it  on  their  mind,  than  any  other  fact  which  Balaam  had 
impressed  on  his  mind.  It  requires  no  higher  sort  of  idea  or  sen- 
sation for  a  man  to  have  the  apprehension  of  his  own  conversion 
impressed  upon  him,  than  to  have  the  apprehension  of  his  neigh- 
bour's conversion,  in  like  manner  impressed:  but  God,  if  he 
pleased,  might  impress  the  knowledge  of  this  fact,  that  he  had  for- 
given his  neighbour's  sins,  and  given  him  a  title  to  heaven,  as 
Avell  as  any  other  fact,  without  any  communication  of  his  holiness: 
the  excellency  and  importance  of  the  fact  do  not  at  all  hinder  a 
natural  man's  mind  being  susceptible  of  an  immediate  suggestion 
and  impression  of  it.  Balaam  had  as  excellent,  important  and 
glorious  facts  as  this,  immediately  impressed  on  his  mind,  with- 
out any  gracious  influence;  as,  particularly,  the  coming  of  Christ, 
and  his  setting  up  his  glorious  kindgom,  and  the  blessedness  of 
the  spiritual  Israel  in  his  peculiar  favour,  and  their  happiness 
living  and  dying.  Yea,  Abimelech,  king  of  the  Philistines,  had 
God's  special  favour  to  a  particular  person,  even  Abraham,  re- 
vealed to  him.  Gen.  xx.  G,  7.  So  it  seems  that  he  revealed  to 
Laban  his  special  favour  to  Jacob,  see  Gen.  xxxi.  24,  and  Psal. 
cv.  15.  And  if  a  truly  good  man  should  have  an  immediate  reve- 
lation or  suggestion  from  God,  after  the  like  manner,  concerning 
his  favour  to  his  neighbour  or  himself,  it  would  be  no  higher  kind 
of  influence ;  it  would  be  no  more  than  a  common  sort  of  influence 
of  God's  Spirit,  as  the  gift  of  prophecy  and  all  revelation  by  im- 
mediate suggestion  is;  see  1  Cor.  xiii.  2.  And  though  it  be  true 
that  it  is  not  possible  that  a  natural  man  should  have  that  indivi- 
dual suggestion  from  the  Spirit  of  God  that  he  is  converted,  be- 
cause it  is  not  true;  yet  that  does  not  arise  from  the  nature  of  the 
influence,  or  because  that  kind  of  influence  which  suggests  such 
excellent  facts,  is  too  high  for  him  to  be  the  subject  of;  but  pure- 
ly from  the  defect  of  a  fact  to  be  revealed.  The  influence  which 
immediately  suggests  this  fact,  when  it  is  true,  is  of  no  different 
kind  from  that  which  immediately  suggests  other  true  fact«:  and  so 


168  FIRST  SIGN  OF 

the  kind  and  nature  of  the  influences  is  not  above  what  is  com- 
mon to  natural  men,  with  good  men. 

But  this  is  a  mean,  ignoble  notion  of  the  witness  of  the  Spirit 
of  God  given  to  his  dear  children,  to  suppose  that  there  is  nothing 
in  the  kind  and  nature  of  that  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  in 
imparting  this  high  and  glorious  benefit,  but  what  is  common  to 
natural  men,  or  which  men  are  capable  of,  and  be  in  the  mean 
time  altogether  unsanctified  and  the  children  of  hell;  and  that 
therefore  the  benefit  or  gift  itself  has  nothing  of  the  holy  nature 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  it,  nothing  of  a  vital  communication  of 
Spirit.  This  notion  greatly  debases  that  high  rud  most  exalted 
kind  of  influence  and  operation  of  the  Spirit,  which  there  is  in 
the  true  witness  of  the  Spirit.f  That  which  is  called  the  witness 
of  the  Spirit,  Rom.  viii.  is  elsewhere  in  the  New  Testament  call- 
ed the  seal  of  the  Spirit,  2  Cor.  i.  22,  Eph.  i.  13,  and  iv.  13,  al- 
luding to  the  seal  of  princes  annexed  to  the  instrument  by  which 
they  advanced  any  of  their  subjects  to  some  high  honour  and  dig- 
nity, or  peculiar  privilege  in  the  kingdom,  as  atokenof  their  spe- 
cial favour.     Which  is  an  evidence  that  the  influence  of  the  Spi- 

f  The  late  venerable  Stoddard,  in  his  younger  time,  falling  in  with  the  opin- 
ion of  some  others,  received  this  notion  of  the  witness  of  the  Spirit,  by  way 
of  immediate  suggestion;  but  in  the  latter  part  of  his  life,  when  he  had  more 
thoroughly  weighed  things,  and  had  more  experience,  he  entirely  rejected 
it,  as  appears  by  his  treatise  of  the  nature  of  saving  conversion,  p.  84.  "The 
Spirit  of  God  doth  not  testify  to  particular  persons  that  they  are  godly. — 
Some  think  that  the  Spirit  of  God  doth  testify  it  to  some;  and  they  ground 
it  on  Rom.  viii.  16,  «  The  Spirit  itself  beareth  witness  with  our  spirit,  that 
we  are  the  children  of  God.'  They  think  the  Spirit  reveals  it  by  giving  an 
inward  testimony  to  it;  and  some  godly  men  think  they  have  had  experi- 
ence of  it:  but  they  may  easily  mistake;  when  the  Spirit  of  God  doth  emi- 
nently stir  up  a  spirit  of  faith,  and  shed  abroad  the  love  of  God  in  the  heart, 
it  is  easy  to  mistake  it  for  a  testimony.  And  that  is  not  the  meaning  of 
Paul's  words.  The  Spirit  reveals  things  to  us  by  opening  our  eyes  to  see 
•what  is  revealed  in  the  word;  but  the  Spirit  doth  not  reveal  new  truths,  not 
revealed  in  the  word.  The  Spirit  discovers  the  grace  of  God  in  Christ,  and 
therefore  draws  forth  special  actings  of  faith  and  love,  which  are  evidential; 
but  it  doth  not  work  in  way  of  testimony.  If  God  do  but  help  us  to  receive 
the  revelations  in  the  word,  we  shall  have  comfort  enough  without  new  reve- 
lations." 


CRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  1G9 

rit  of  the  Prince  of  princes,  in  sealing  his  favourites,  is  far  from 
being  of  a  common  kind;  and  that  there  is  no  efiect  of  God's  Spi- 
rit whatsoever,  which  is  in  its  nature  more  divine;  nothing  more  ho- 
ly, peculiar,  inimitable,  and  distinguishing  of  divinity.  As  no- 
thing is  more  royal  than  the  royal  seal;  nothing  more  sacred  that 
belongs  to  a  prince,  and  more  peculiarly  denoting  what  belongs 
to  him;  it  being  the  veiy  end  and  design  of  it  to  be  the  most  pe- 
culiar stamp  and  confirmation  of  the  royal  authority,  and  great 
note  of  distinction,  whereby  that  which  proceeds  from  the  king, 
or  belongs  to  him,  may  be  known  from  every  thing  else.  And 
therefore  undoubtedly  the  seal  of  the  great  King  of  heaven  and 
earth  enstamped  on  the  heart,  is  something  high  and  holy  in  its 
own  nature,  some  excellent  communication  from  the  infinite  foun- 
tain of  divine  beauty  and  glory;  not  merely  a  making  known  a  se- 
cret fact  by  revelation  or  suggestion;  which  is  a  sort  of  influence 
of  the  Spirit  of  God,  that  the  children  of  the  devil  have  often  been 
the  subjects  of.  The  seal  of  the  Spirit  is  a  kind  of  effect  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  on  the  heart,  which  natural  men,  while  such,  arc 
so  far  from  a  capacity  of  being  the  subjects  of,  that  they  can  have 
no  manner  of  notion  or  idea  of  it;  agreeably  to  Rev.  ii.  17:  "  To 
him  that  overcometh  will  I  give  to  eat  of  the  hidden  manna,  and 
I  will  give  him  a  white  stone,  and  in  the  stone  a  new  name  writ- 
ten, which  no  man  knovveth,  saving  he  that  receiveth  it."  There 
is  all  reason  to  suppose  that  what  is  here  spoken  of,  is  the  same 
mark,  evidence,  or  blessed  token  of  special  favour,  which  is  else- 
where called  the  seal  of  the  Spirit. 

What  has  misled  many  in  their  notion  of  that  influence  of  the 
Spirit  of  God  we  are  speaking  of,  is  the  word  loitness,  its  being 
called  the  witness  of  the  Spirit.  Hence  they  have  taken  it,  not 
to  be  ai^y  effect  or  work  of  the  Spirit  upon  the  heart,  giving  evi- 
dence from  whence  men  may  argue  that  they  are  the  children  of 
God;  but  an  inward  immediate  suggestion,  as  though  God  in- 
wardly spoke  to  the  man,  and  testified  to  him,  and  told  him  that 
he  was  his  child  by  a  kind  of  a  secret  voice  or  impression:  not 
observing  the  manner  in  which  the  word,  ^vitness  or  testimony, 
is  often  used  in  the  New  Testament,  v.^here  such  terms  often  sig- 


170  FIRST  SIGN  OP 

nify,  not  only  a  mere  declaring  and  asserting  a  thing  to  be  true, 
but  holding  forth  evidence  from  whence  a  thing  maj'  be  argued, 
and  proved  to  be  true.  Thus  Heb.  ii.  4.  "  God  is  said  to  bear 
witness,  with  signs  and  wonders,  and  divers  miracles,  and  gifts 
of  the  Holy  Ghost."  Now  these  miracles,  here  spoken  of,  are 
called  God's  witness,  not  because  they  are  of  the  nature  of  as- 
sertions, but  evidences  and  proofs.  So  Acts  xiv.  3.  "  Long  time 
therefore  abode  they  speaking  boldly  in  the  Lord,  which  gave 
testimony  unto  the  word  of  his  grace,  and  granted  signs  and  won- 
ders to  be  done  by  their  hands."  And  John  v.  36.  "  But  I  have 
greater  witness  than  that  of  John:  for  the  works  which  the  Father 
hath  given  me  to  finish,  the  same  works  that  I  do,  bear  witness 
of  me  that  the  Father  hath  sent  me."  Again,  chap.  x.  25.  "  The 
jik^  works  that  I  do  in  my  Father's  name,  they  bear  witness  of  me." 
So  the  water  and  the  blood  are  said  to  bear  witness,  1  John,  v.  8, 
not  that  they  spoke  or  asserted  any  thing,  but  they  were  proofs 
and  evidences.  So  God's  works  of  providence,  in  the  rain  and 
finiitful  seasons,  are  spoken  of  as  witnesses  of  God's  being  and 
goodness,  i.  e.  they  are  evidences  of  these  things.  And  when  the 
scripture  speaks  of  the  seal  of  the  Spirit,  it  is  an  expression  which 
properly  denotes,  not  an  immediate  voice  or  suggestion,  but  some 
work  or  effect  of  the  Spirit,  that  is  left  as  a  divine  mark  upon  the 
soul,  to  be  an  evidence  by  which  God's  children  might  be  known. 
The  seals  of  princes  were  the  distinguishing  marks  of  princes: 
and  thus  God's  seal  is  spoken  of  as  God's  mark.  Rev.  vii.  3. 
"  Hurt  not  the  earth,  neither  the  sea,  nor  the  trees,  till  we  have 
sealed  the  servants  of  our  God  in  their  foreheads;"  together  with 
Ezek.  ix.  4.  "  Set  a  mark  upon  the  foreheads  of  the  men  that 
sigh  and  that  cry  for  all  the  abominations  that  are  done  in  the 
midst  thereof."  When  God  sets  his  seal  on  a  man's  heart  by  his 
Spirit,  there  is  some  holy  stamp,  some  image  impressed  and  left 
upon  the  heart  by  the  Spirit,  as  by  the  seal  upon  the  wax.  And 
'  this  holy  stamp,  or  impressed  image,  exhibiting  clear  evidence  to 
the  conscience,  that  the  subject  of  it  is  the  child  of  God,  is  the 
very  thing  which  in  scripture  is  called  the  seal  of  the  Spirit,  and 
the  witness  or  evidence  of  the  Spirit.    And  this  image  enstamped 


GRACIOUS   AFFECTIONS.  171 

by  the  Spirit  on  God's  children's  hearts,  is  his  own  image;  that 
is  the  evidence  by  which  they  are  known  to  be  God's  children, 
that  they  have  the  image  of  their  Father  stamped  upon  their 
hearts  by  the  Spirit  of  adoption.  Seals  anciently  had  engraven 
on  them  two  things,  viz.  the  image  and  the  name  of  the  person 
whose  seal  it  was.  Therefore  when  Christ  says  to  his  spouse, 
Cant.  viii.  6.  "  Set  me  as  a  seal  upon  thine  heart,  as  a  seal  upon 
thine  arm;"  it  is  as  much  as  to  say  let  my  name  and  image  re- 
main impressed  there.  The  seals  of  princes  were  wont  to  bear 
their  image,  so  that  what  they  set  their  seal  and  royal  mark  upon, 
had  their  image  left  on  it.  It  was  the  manner  of  princes  of  old 
to  have  their  image  engraven  on  their  jewels  and  precious  stones; 
and  the  image  of  Augustus  engraven  on  a  precious  stone,  was 
used  as  the  seal  of  the  Roman  emperors,  in  Christ's  and  the 
apostles'  times. t  And  the  saints  are  the  jewels  of  Jesus  Christ, 
the  great  potentate,  who  has  the  possession  of  the  empire  of  the 
universe;  and  these  jewels  have  his  image  enstamped  upon  them, 
by  his  royal  signet,  which  is  the  Holy  Spirit.  And  this  is  un- 
doubtedly what  the  scripture  means  by  the  seal  of  the  Spirit; 
especially  when  it  is  stamped  in  so  fair  and  clear  a  manner,  as  to 
be  plain  to  the  eye  of  conscience;  which  is  what  the  scripture 
calls  our  spirit.  This  is  truly  an  effect  that  is  spiritual,  superna- 
tural, and  divine.  This  is  in  itself  of  a  holy  nature,  being  a  com- 
munication of  the  divine  nature  and  beauty.  That  kind  of  influ- 
ence of  the  Spirit  which  gives  and  leaves  this  stamp  upon  the 
heart,  is  such  that  no  natural  man  can  be  the  subject  of  any  thing 
of  the  like  nature  with  it.  This  is  the  highest  sort  of  witness  of 
the  Spirit,  which  it  is  possible  the  soul  should  be  the  subject  of. 
If  there  were  any  such  thing  as  a  witness  of  the  Spirit  by  imme- 
diate suggestion  or  revelation,  this  would  be  vastly  more  noble 
and  excellent,  and  as  much  above  it  as  the  heaven  is  above  the 
earth.  This  the  devil  cannot  imitate;  as  to  an  inward  suggestion 
of  the  Spirit  of  God,  by  a  kind  of  secret  voice  speaking,  and  im- 
mediately asserting  and  revealing  a  fact,  he  can  do  that  which  is 
a  thousand  times  so  like  to  this,  as  he  can  to  that  holy  and  di- 

f  See  Cliambcr's  Dictionaiy,  under  the  word  r.xGRtviM;. 


172  FIRST  SIGN  OF 

vihe  effect,  or  work  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  which  has  now  been 
spoken  of.f 

I  Mr.  Shepard  is  abundant  in  militating  against  the  notion  of  mens  know* 
ing  their  good  estate  by  an  immediate  witness  of  the  Spirit,  without  judging 
by  any  effect  or  work  of  the  Spirit  wrought  on  the  heart,  as  an  evidence  and 
proof  that  persons  are  the  children  of  God.  Parab,  P.  I.  p.  134;  "  Knowing 
your  election  of  God?  How  so?  Immediately?  Some  divines  think  angels  see 
it  not  so,  and  that  it  is  peculiar  to  God  so  to  do;  but  mediately;  for  our  word 
came  in  power  and  in  much  assurance,  to  make  you  enlarged  for  God,  to 
turn  you  from  idols  unto  God,  &c." — Again,  in  the  same  page,  "  It  is  heaven 
to  cleave  to  him  in  every  command;  it  is  death  to  depart  from  any  command. 
Hereby  know  we  that  we  are  in  him.  If  it  were  possible  to  ask  of  the  an- 
gels, how  they  know  they  are  not  devils?  they  would  answer,  The  Lord's 
will  is  ours.  So  here,  how  do  you  know  that  you  have  not  the  nature  of  de- 
vils, and  so  in  a  state  of  devils,  bound  there  until  the  judgment  of  the  great 
day?  because  God  hath  changed  our  vile  natures,  and  made  our  wills  like 
unto  his  glorious  will."  And  p.  135,  "  The  major  is  the  word,  the  minor 
experience,  and  the  conclusion  the  Lord's  Spirit's  work  quickening  your 
spirits  to  it.  Now,  say  some,  how  do  you  know  this?  Thus  you  may  be  mis- 
taken; for  many  have  been  deceived  thus.  Grant  that;  and  shall  a  child  not 
take  bread  when  it  is  given  to  him,  though  dogs  snatch  at  it?  And  p.  137, 
If  you  look  to  a  spirit  without  a  work  whilst  you  do  seek  consolation,  you 
can  not  avoid  the  conderrination  of  the  word.  You  say  the  Spirit  has  spoken 
peace  to  you;  but  do  you  love  Christ?  I  look  not  to  that,  but  to  the  Spirit. 
Why  the  word  saith,  "  He  that  loves  him  not,  let  him  be  Anathema."  So 
is  the  league  between  your  sins  and  your  souls  broken?  Ans.  I  look  not  to 
that.  Why  John  saith,  "  he  that  committeth  sin  is  of  the  devil."  Are  you 
new  creatures?  I  look  not  to  that.  Why  the  Word  saith,  "  unless  you  be 
born  again  you  can  not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God."  Page  176,  177, 
"  A  man  saith,  I  have  Christ;  and  so  hath  not  they.  I  ask,  where  is  the  Spi- 
rit? You  have  the  deed;  where  is  the  seal?  You  have  the  testator;  where  is 
the  executor?  the  spirit  in  you?  Yes,  I  have  it;  it  has  witnessed  Christ  is 
mine.  Ans.  It  has  witnessed,  but  what  has  it  wrought?  where  is  the  power 
of  his  death,  killing  thy  lusts?  where  is  the  hfe  of  the  Spirit  of  Jesus  in  you, 
where  is  the  oil  in  your  vessel?  Truly  I  look  for  the  Bridegroom;  but  I  re- 
gard not  that;  neither  are  others  to  regard  it  in  way  of  evidence.  Then  I 
say  the  chief  evidence  is  destroyed  in  the  churches.  I  have  known  many 
that  have  had  assurances;  yet  never  saw  them  prove  right,  until  it  witnessed 
this  was  here.  What  should  be  the  cause  of  this,  and  that  men  should  make 
blusters  in  the  churches  because  of  this,  as  though  it  was  building  on  works? 
In  several  men  they  are  several.  1.  An  aptness  to  out  run  the  truth  and  fall 
from  one  extreme  to  another.  2.  The  apostacy  of  eminent  professors, 
who  have  been  deceived  in  their  evidencing  thus.    3.  Corrupt  experience 


GRACIOUS   AFFECTIONS.  173 

Another  thing  which  is  a  full  proof  that  the  seal  of  the  Spirit 
is  no  revelation  of  any  fact  by  immediate  suggestion,  but  is  grace 
itself  in  the  soul,  is,  that  the  seal  of  the  Spirit  is  called  in  the 
scripture,  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit.     It  is  very  plain  that  the  seal 

4.  A  heart  that  never  felt  the  bitterness  and  bondage  of  sin  as  the  greatest 
evil."  Page  215,  216,  "The  peace,  and  joy,  and  assurance  of  that  glory, 
which  eye  never  saw,  in  the  saints,  it  is  from  the  witness  of  the  Spirit  of  glo- 
ry; not  only  because  thai  God  is  their  God,  but  because  Ihey  are  his  people. 
It  is,  1  say,  from  the  witness  of  God  in  his  word;  not  from  themselves,  nor 
from  man  only,  that  they  approve  me;  nor  from  dreams  and  diabolical  breatii- 
ings;  but  from  the  Spirit  of  God;  he  brings  tidings  of  it;  and  from  such  a  spi- 
rit (that  you  may  know  it)  that  not  only  shows  you  God  is  your  God,  and  so 
you  rejoice  because  "of  this,  for  thus  it  is  with  many  a  carnal  heart,  and  he 
hath  peace,  being  in  horror,  from  this,  the  Lord  loves  me:  but  he  makes  you 
to  rejoice  because  you  are  tlie  Lord's  people,  because  he  hath  changed  your 
heart,  now  the  peace  is  found,  and  joy  is  riglit:  and  here  I  would  try  the 
peace  of  any  man."  Part  II.  p.  168,  169,  "  All  the  heirs  of  tlie  promises, 
as  heirs  that  have  legacies  left  them,  they  go  to  the  will  of  the  deceased  fa- 
ther; and  that  comforts,  tliat  they  hold  to,  that  is  sure  such  a  one  will  have 
it,  if  his  name  be  there.  IJut  if  one  shall  say,  such  a  one  hath  promised  me 
such  lands:  Is  it  in  his  will?  No:  but  since  he  died,  as  1  was  taking  a  pipe, 
he  came  to  me.     O  be  not  deceived!" 

Again,  in  his  Sound  Rehever,  there  is  a  long  discourse  of  sanctification  as 
the  chief  evidence  of  justification,  from  p.  221,  for  many  pages  following,  I 
shall  transcribe  but  a  very  small  part  of  it. 

"  Tell  me  how  you  will  know  that  you  are  justified.  You  will  say,  by  the 
testimony  of  the  Spirit.  And  can  not  tlie  same  Spirit  shine  upon  your  graces, 
and  witness  that  you  are  sanctified,  as  well?  1  John  iv.  13,  24.  1  Cor.  ii.  12. 
Can  the  Spirit  make  the  one  clear  to  you  and  not  the  other?  Ojbeloved,  it  is  a 
sad  thing  to  hear  such  questions,  and  such  cold  answers  also,  tiiat  sanctifi- 
cation possibly  may  be  an  evidence.  May  be!  is  it  not  certain?  Assuredly 
to  deny  it  is  as  bad  as  to  affirm  that  God's  own  promi.ses  of  favour  are  not 
true  evidences  thereof,  and  consequently  that  they  are  lies  and  untruths." 

Mr.  Flavel  also  much  opposes  this  notion  of  the  witness  of  the  S[)irit  by 
immediate  revelation.  Sacramental  Meditations,  Med.  4,  speaking  of  the 
sealing  of  the  Spirit,  he  says,  "  In  sealing  the  believer  he  does  not  make  use 
of  an  audible  voice,  nor  the  ministry  of  angels,  nor  immediate  and  extraor- 
dinary revelations;  but  he  makes  use  of  his  own  Sfraces  implanted  in  our* 
hearts,  and  his  own  pi-omises,  written  in  the  scrijiturc:  and  in  this  method, 
he  usually  brings  the  doubting,  trembling  heart  ofabchcverto  rest  and 
comfoi't."  Again,  ibid.  "  Assurance  is  j)roduced  in  our  souls  by  tlie  re- 
flective acts  of  faith;  the  Spirit  helps  us  to  reflect  upon  what  has  been  done 

y 


174  FIRST  SIGN  OF 

of  the  Spirit  is  the  same  thing  with  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit  by 
2  Cor.  i.  22.  "  Who  hath  also  sealed  us,  and  given  the  earnest 
of  the  Spirit  in  our  hearts;"  and  Eph.  i.  13, 14,  "In  whom, 
after  that  ye  believed,  ye  were  sealed  ^vith  that  Holy  Spirit  of 
promise,  which  is  the  earnest  of  our  inheritance,  until  the  re- 
demption of  the  purchased  possession  unto  the  praise  of  his  glory." 
Now  the  earnest  is  part  of  the  money  agreed  for,  given  in  hand, 
as  a  token  of  the  whole,  to  be  paid  in  due  time;  a  part  of  the 
promised  inheritance  granted  now,  in  token  of  full  possession  of 
the  whole  hereafter.  But  surely  that  kind  of  communication  of 
the  Spirit  of  God,  which  is  of  the  nature  of  eternal  glory,  is  the 
highest  and  most  excellent  kind  of  communication,  something 
that  is  in  its  own  nature  spiritual,  holy  and  divine,  and  far  from 
any  thing  that  is  common:  and,  therefore,  high  above  any  thing 
of  the  nature  of  inspiration,  or  revelation  of  hidden  facts  b}'  sug- 

by  him  formerly  upon  our  liearts;  hereby  we  know  that  we  know  him,  1 
John  ii.  3.  To  know  that  we  know  is  a  reflect  act.  Now  it  is  impossible 
there  should  be  a  reflex,  before  there  hath  been"a  direct  act.  No  man  can 
have  the  evidence  of  his  faith  before  the  habit  is  infused  and  the  vital  act 
performed.  The  object  matter,  to  wJiich  the  Spirit  seals,  is  his  own  sancti- 
fving  operation."  Afterwards,  ibid,  he  says,  "  immediate  ways  of  the  Spi- 
rit's sealing  are  ceased.  Mo  man  may  now  expect,  by  any  new  revelation 
or  sign  from  heaven,  by  any  voice  or  extraordinary  inspiration,  to  have  his 
salvation  sealed;  but  must  expect  that  mercy  in  God's  ordinary  way  and  me- 
thod, searching  the  scriptures,  examining  our  own  hearts,  and  waiting  on 
the  Lord  in  prayer.  The  learned  Gerson  gives  an  instance  of  one  that  had 
been  long  upon  the  borders  of  despair,  and  at  last  sweetly  assured  and  set- 
tled: he  answered  A'aii  ex  nova  aliqxia  revelatione;  not  by  any  new  revelation, 
but  by  subjecting  my  understanding  to,  and  comparing  my  heart  with  the 
written  word.  And  Mr.  Roberts,  in  his  Treatise  of  the  Covenants,  speaks 
of  another  that  so  vehemently  panted  after  the  sealings  and  assurance  of  the 
love  of  God  to  his  soul,  that  for  a  long  time  he"  earnestly  desired  some  voice 
from  heaven;  and  sometimes,  walking  in  the  solitary  fields,  earnestly  desir- 
ed some  miraculous  voice  from  the  trees  or  stones  there.  This  was  denied 
him;  but,  in  time,  a  better  was  afforded,  in  a  scriptural  way.  Again,  ibid. 
"  This  method  of  sealing  is  beyond  all  other  methods  in  the  world.  For 
in  miraculous  voices  and  inspirations,  it  is  possible  there  may  subesse  falsum, 
be  found  some  cheat  or  impostures  of  the  devil:  but  the  Spirit's  witness  in 
the  heart,  suitable  to  the  revelation  of  the  scripture,  can  not  deceive  us," 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  175 

"•estion  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  which  many  natural  men  have  had. 
What  is  the  earnest  and  hcgianing  of  glory  but  grace  itself,  espe- 
cially in  the  more  lively  and  clear  exercises  of  it?  It  is  not  pro- 
phecy, nor  tongues,  nor  knowledge,  but  that  more  excellent  di- 
vine thing,  "  charity  that  never  faileth,"  which  is  a  prelibation 
and  beginning  of  the  light,  sweetness  and  blessedness  of  heaven, 
that  world  of  love  or  charity.  It  is  grace  that  is  the  seed  of 
glory  and  dawning  of  glory  in  the  heart,  and  therefore  it  is  grace 
that  is  tlie  earnest  of  the  future  inheritance.  What  is  it  that  is 
the  beginning  or  earnest  of  eternal  life  in  the  soul,  but  spiritual 
life;  and  what  is  that  but  grace?  The  inheritance  that  Christ  has 
purchased  for  the  elect,  is  the  Spirit  of  God;  not  in  any  extraor- 
dinary gifts,  but  in  his  vital  indwelling  in  the  heart,  exerting  and 
communicating  himself  there,  in  his  own  proper,  holy,  or  divine 
nature;  and  this  is  the  sum  total  of  the  inheritance  that  Christ 
purchased  for  the  elect.  For  so  are  things  constituted  in  the  af- 
fair of  our  redemption,  that  the  Father  provides  the  Saviour  or 
purchaser,  and  the  purchase  is  made  of  him;  and  the  Son  is  the 
purchaser  and  the  price;  and  the  Holy  Spirit  is  the  great  blessing 
or  inheritance  purchased,  as  is  intimated,  Gal.  iii.  13,  14,  and 
hence  the  Spirit  often  is  spoken  of  as  the  sum  of  the  blessings 
promised  in  the  gospel,  Luke  xxiv.  49,  Acts  i,  4,  and  chap,  ii. 
38,  39,  Gal.  iii.  14,  Eph,  i,  13.  This  inheritance  was  the 
grand  legacy  which  Christ  left  his  disciples  and  church,  in  his 
last  will  and  testament,  John,  chap.  xiv.  xv.  xvi.  This  is  the  sum 
of  the  blessings  of  eternal  life,  which  shall  be  given  in  heaven. 
(Compare  John  vii.  37,  38,  39,  and  John  iv.  14,  with  Rev.  xxi. 
6,  and  xxii.  1,17.)  It  is  through  the  vital  communications  and 
indwelling  of  the  Spirit  that  the  saints  have  all  their  light,  life, 
holiness,  beauty,  and  joy  in  heaven;  and  it  is  through  the  vital 
communications  and  indwelling  of  the  same  Spirit  that  the  saints 
have  all  light,  life,  holiness,  beauty  and  comfort  on  earth;  but 
only  communicated  in  less  measure.  And  this  vital  indwelling 
of  the  Spirit  in  the  saints,  in  this*  less  measure  and  small  be- 
ginning, is  "  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit,  the  earnest  of  the  future 
inheritance,  and  the  first  fruits  of  the  Spirit,"  as  the  apostle  calls 


no  FIRST  SIGN  OF 

it,  Roni.  viii,  22,  where,  by  "  the  first  fruits  of  the  Spirit,"  the 
apostle  undoubtedly  means  the  same  vital,  gracious  principle  that 
he  speaks  of  in  all  the  preceding  part  of  the  chapter,  which  he 
calls  Spirit,  and  sets  in  opposition  to  ilesh  or  corruption.  There- 
fore this  earnest  of  the  Spirit,  and  first  fruits  of  the  Spirit,  which 
has  been  shown  to  be  the  same  with  the  seal  of  the  Spirit,  is  the 
vital,  gracious,  sanctifying  communication  and  influence  of  the 
Spirit,  and  not  any  immediate  suggestion  or  revelation  of  facts  by 
the  Spirit.! 

And  indeed  the  apostle,  when  in  that,  Rom.  viii.  16,  be  speaks 
of  the  Spirit's  bearing  witness  with  our  spirit  that  we  are  the 
children  of  God,  does  sufficiently  explain  himself,  if  his  words 
were  but  attended  to.  What  is  here  exjiressed  is  connected  with 
the  two  preceding  verses,  as  resulting  from  what  the  apostle  had 
said  there,  as  every  reader  may  see.  The  three  verses  together 
arc  thus,  "  For  as  many  as  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  they  arc 
the  sons  of  God:  For  ye  have  not  received  the  spirit  of  bondage 
again  to  fear;  but  ye  have  received  the  spirit  of  adoption  whereby 
w^e  cry,  Abba  Father:  The  Spirit  itself  beareth  witness  with 
our  spirits  that  we  are  the  children  of  God."  Here,  what  the 
apostle  says,  if  we  take  it  together,  plainly  shows  that  what  he 
has  respect  to,  ivhen  he  speaks  of  the  Spirit's  giving  us  witness 
or  evidence  that  we  are  God's  children,  is  his  dwelling  in  us,  and 
leading  us,  as  a  sgirit  of  adoption,  or  spirit  of  a  child,  disposing 
us  to  behave  towards  God  as  to  a  Father.  This  is  the  Avitness  or 
evidence  which  the  apostle  speaks  of  that  we  are  children,  that 
we  have  the  spirit  of  children,  or  spirit  of  adoption.  And  what  is 
that  but  the  spirit  of  love?  There  are  two  kinds  of  spirits  the 
apostle  speaks  of,  tlie  spirit  of  a  slave,  or  the  spirit  of  bondage, 

f  "  After  a  man  is  in  Christ,  not  to  judge  by  the  work,  is  not  to  judge  by 
the  Spirit.  For  the  apostle  makes  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit  to  be  the  seal. — 
Now  earnest  is  part  of  the  money  bargained  for;  the  beginning  of  heaven,  of 
the  light  and  life  of  it.  He  that  sees  not  that  the  Lord  is  his  by  that,  sees  no 
God  of  his  at  all.  Oh,  therefore,,  do  not  look  for  a  Spirit  without  a  word  to 
reveal,  nor  a  word  to  reveal  without  seeing  and  feeling  of  some  work  first. 
1  thank  the  Lord  I  do  but  pity  those  that  think  otherwise.  If  a  sheep  of 
Christ,  O  wonder  not."     SfiepanPs  Far.  P.  L  p.  26. 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  177 

that  is  fear;  and  the  spirit  of  a  cliild,  or  spirit  of  adoption,  and 
that  is  love.  The  apostle  sajs,  we  have  not  received  the  spirit 
of  bondage,  or  of  slaves,  which  is  a  spirit  of  fear;  but  we  have 
received  the  more  ingenuous  noble  spirit  of  children,  a  spirit  of 
love,  which  naturaliv  disposes  us  to  go  to  God  as  children  to  a 
father,  and  behave  towards  God  as  children.  And  this  is  the 
evidence  or  witness  which  the  Spirit  of  God  gives  us  that  we  are 
his  children.  This  is  the  plain  sense  of  the  apostle;  and  so,  un- 
doubtedly, he  here  is  speaking  of  the  very  same  way  of  casting 
out  doubting  and  fear  and  the  spirit  of  bondage,  which  the  apos- 
tle John  speaks  of,  1  John  iv.  18,  viz.  by  the  prevailing  of  love, 
that  is  the  spirit  of  a  child.  The  spirit  of  bondage  ^vorks  by 
fear,  the  slave  fears  the  rod:  but  love  cries,  Abba  Father;  it  dis- 
poses us  to  go  to  God,  and  behave  ourselves  towards  God  as  chil- 
dren; and  it  gives  us  clear  evidence  of  our  union  to  God  as  his 
children,  and  so  casts  out  fear.  So  that  it  appears  that  the  wit- 
ness of  the  Spirit  the  apostle  speaks  of,  is  far  from  being  any 
whisper,  or  immediate  suggestion  or  revelation;  but  that  gracious 
holy  effect  of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  the  hearts  of  the  saints,  the  dis- 
position and  temper  of  children,  appearing  in  sweet  childlike  love 
to  God,  which  casts  out  fear,  or  a  spirit  of  a  slave. 

And  the  same  thing  is  evident  from  all  the  context:  it  is  plain 
the  apostle  speaks  of  the  Spirit,  over  and  over  again,  as  dwelling 
in  the  hearts  of  the  saints,  as  a  gracious  principle,  set  in  opposi- 
tion to  the  flesh  or  corruption:  and  so  he  does  in  the  words  that 
immediately  introduce  this  passage  we  are  upon,  ver.  13;  "  For 
if  ye  live  after  the  flesh,  ye  shall  die:  but  if  ye,  through  the  Spirit, 
do  mortify  the  deeds  of  the  flesh,  ye  shall  live. 

Indeed  it  is  past  doubt  with  me,  that  the  apostle  has  a  more 
special  respect  to  the  spirit  of  grace,  or  the  spirit  of  love,  or  spirit 
of  a  child,  in  its  more  lively  actings;  for  it  is  perfect  love,  or 
strong  love  only,  which  so  witnesses  or  evidences  that  we  arc 
children,  as  to  cast  out  fear,  and  wholly  deliver  from  the  spirit  of 
bondage.  The  strong  and  lively  exercises  of  a  spirit  of  childlike, 
evangelical,  humble  love  to  God,  give  clear  evidence  of  the  soul's 
relation  to  God  as  his  child,  which  does  very  greatly  and  directly 


178  FIRST  SIGN  OF 

satisfy  the  soul.  And  though  it  be  far  from  being  true,  that  the 
soul,  in  this  case,  judges  only  by  an  immediate  witness,  without 
any  sign  or  evidence;  for  it  judges  and  is  assured  by  the  greatest 
sign  and  clearest  evidence;  yet  in  this  case  the  saint  stands  in  no 
need  of  multiplied  signs,  or  any  long  reasoning  upon  them.  And 
though  the  sight  of  his  relative  union  with  God,  and  his  being  in 
his  favour,  is  not  without  a  medium,  because  he  sees  it  by  that 
medium,  viz,  his  love;  yet  his  sight  of  the  union  of  his  heart  to 
God  is  immediate.  Love,  the  bond  of  union,  is  seen  intuitively: 
the  saint  sees  and  feels  plainly  the  union  between  his  soul  and 
God;  it  is  so  strong  and  lively  that  he  can  not  doubt  of  it.  And 
hence  he  is  assured  that  he  is  a  child.  How  can  he  doubt  whe- 
ther he  stands  in  a  childlike  relation  to  God,  when  he  plainly  sees 
a  childlike  union  between  God  and  his  soul,  and  hence  does  bold- 
ly, and  as  it  were  naturally  and  necessarily  cry,  Abba  Father? 

And  whereas  the  apostle  says,  the  Spirit  bears  witness  with 
our  spirits;  by  our  spirit  here,  is  meant  our  conscience,  which  is 
called  the  spirit  of  man,  Prov.  xx.  27;  "  The  spirit  of  man  is 
the  candle  of  the  Lord,  searching  all  the  inward  parts  of  the 
belly."  We  elsewhere  read  of  the  witness  of  this  spirit  of  ours, 
2  Cor.  i.  12  ;  "  For  our  rejoicing  is  this,  the  testimony  of  our 
conscience."  And  1  John  iii.  19,  20,  21;  "And  hereby  we 
know  that  we  are  of  the  truth,  and  shall  assure  our  hearts  before 
him.  For  if  our  heart  condemn  us,  God  is  greater  than  our 
heart,  and  knoweth  all  things.  Beloved,  if  our  heart  condemn 
us  not,  then  have  we  confidence  towards  God."  When  the 
apostle  Paul  speaks  of  the  Spirit  of  God  bearing  witness  with  our 
spirit,  he  is  not  to  be  understood  of  two  spirits  that  are  two  sepa- 
rate, collateral,  independent  witnesses;  but  it  is  by  one  that  we 
receive  the  witness  of  the  other.  The  Spirit  of  God  gives  the 
evidence  by  infusing  and  shedding  abroad  the  love  of  God,  the 
spirit  of  a  child  in  the  heart,  and  our  spirit,  or  our  conscience, 
receives  and  declares  this  evidence  for  our  rejoicing. 

Many  have  been  the  mischiefs  that  have  arisen  from  that  false 
and  delusive  notion  of  the  witness  of  the  Spirit,  that  it  is  a  kind 
o[  inward  voice,  suggestion,  or  declaration  from  God  to  man,  that 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  179 

he  is  beloved  of  him,  and  pardoned,  elected,  or  the  like,  some- 
times with,  and  sometimes  without  a  text  of  scripture;  and  many 
have  been  the  false  and  vain  (though  very  high)  affections  that 
have  arisen  from  hence.  And  it  is  to  be  feared  that  multitudes 
of  souls  have  been  eternally  undone  by  it.  I  have  therefore  in- 
sisted the  longer  on  this  head.  But  I  proceed  now  to  a  second 
characteristic  of  gracious  affections. 

II.  The  first  objective  ground_of  gcackms  affections  is  the 
transcendently  excellent  and  amiable  nature  of  divine  things  as 
they  are  themselves;  and  not  any  conceived  relation  they  bear  to 
self,  or  self-interest. 

I  say,  that  the  supremely  excellent  nature  of  divine  things,  is 
the  first,  or  primary  and  original  objective  foundation  of  the  spi- 
ritual affections  of  true  saints;  for  I  do  not  suppose  that  all  rela- 
tion which  divine  things  bear  to  themselves,  and  their  own  parti- 
cular interest  is  wholly  excluded  from  all  influence  in  their  gra- 
cious affections.  For  this  may  have  and  indeed  has,  a  secondary 
and  consequential  influence  in  those  affections  that  are  truly  hofy 
and  spiritual,  as  I  shall  show  by  and  by. 

It  was  before  observed,  that  the  affection  of  love  is,  as  it  were, 
the  fountain  of  all  affection;  and  particularly  that  Christian  love 
is  the  fountain  of  all  gracious  affections.  Now  the  divine  excel- 
lency and  glory  of  God  and  Jesus  Christ,  the  word  of  God,  the 
works  of  God,  and  the  ways  of  God,  &c.  is  the  primary  reason 
why  a  true  saint  loves  these  things;  and  not  any  suj)posedinter- 
est  that  he  has  in  them,  or  any  conceived  beije^j;hat  he  has  re- 
ceived trom  them,  or  shall  receive  from  them,  or  any  such  ima- 
gined relation  Avhich  they  bear  to  his  interest,  that  self-love  can 
properly  be  said  to  be  the  first  foundation  of  his  love  to  these 
things. 

Some  say  that  all  love  arises  from  self-love;  and  that  it  is  im- 
possible in  the  nature  of  things,  for  any  man  to  have  any  love  to 
God,  or  any  other  being,  but  that  love  to  himself  must  be  the 
foundation  of  it.  But  I  humbly  suppose  it  is  for  want  of  consi- 
deration that  they  say  so.  They  argue,  that  whoever  loves  God, 
and  so  desires  his  glory  or  the  enjoyment  of  him,  he  desires  these 


180  SECOND    SIGN    OF 

things  as  his  onn  happiness;  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  beholding 
and  enjoying  his  perfections,  are  considered  as  things  agreeable 
to  him,  tending  to  make  him  happy;  he  places  his  happiness  in 
them,  and  desires  them  as  things  which  (if  they  were  obtained) 
would  be  delightful  to  him,  or  would  fill  him  with  delight  and 
joy,  and  so  make  him  happy.  And  so,  they  say,  it  is  from  self 
love,  or  a  desire  of  his  own  happiness,  that  he  desires  God  should 
be  glorified,  and  desires  to  behold  and  enjoy  his  glorious  perfec- 
tions. But  then  they  ought  to  consider  a  little  further,  and  in- 
quire how  the  man  came  to  place  his  happiness  in  God's  being 
glorified,  and  in  contemplating  and  enjoying  God's  perfections. — 
There  is  no  doubt  but  that  after  God's  glory,  and  the  beholding 
his  perfections,  are  become  so  agreeable  to  him,  that  he  places 
'lis  highest  happiness  in  these  things,  then  he  will  desire  them  as 
he  desires  his  own  happiness.  But  how  came  these  things  to  be 
so  agreeable  to  him,  that  he  esteems  it  his  highest  happiness  to 
glorify  God,  &c.?  Is  not  this  the  fruit  of  love?  A  man  must 
first  love  God,  or  have  his  heart  united  to  him,  before  he  will  es- 
teem God's  good  his  own,  and  before  he  will  desire  the  glorifying 
and  enjoying  of  God  as  his  happiness.  It  is  not  strong  arguing, 
that  because  after  a  man  has  his  heart  united  to  God  in  love,  as 
a  fruit  of  this,  he  desires  liis  glory  and  enjoyment  as  his  own  hap- 
piness, that,  therefore,  a  desire  of  this  happiness  of  his  own  must 
needs  be  the  cause  and  foundation  of  his  love;  unless  it  be  strong 
aro-uing,  that  because  a  father  begat  a  son,  therefore  his  son  cer- 
tainly begat  him.  If  after  a  man  loves  God,  and  has  his  heart  so 
united  to  him  as  to  look  upon  God  as  his  chief  good,  and  on  God's 
good  as  his  own,  it  will  be  a  consequence  and  fruit  of  this,  that 
even  self-love,  or  love  to  his  own  happiness,  will  cause  him  to 
desire  the  glorifying  and  enjoying  of  God;  it  will  not  thence  fol- 
low that  this  very  exercise  of  self-love  went  before  his  love  to 
God,  and  that  his  love  to  God  was  a  consequence  and  fruit  of 
that.  Something  else,  entirely  distinct  from  self-love,  might  be 
the  cause  of  this,  viz.  a  change  made  in  the  views  of  his  mind 
and  relish  of  his  heart,  whereby  he  apprehends  a  beauty,  glory, 
and  supreme  good  in  God's  nature  as  it  is  in  itself.    This  may  be 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  181 

the  thing  that  first  draws  his  heart  to  him,  and  causes  his  heart  to 
be  united  to  him,  prior  to  all  considerations  of  his  own  interest  or 
happiness,  although  after  this,  and  as  a  fruit  of  this,  he  necessarily 
seeks  his  interest  and  happiness  in  God. 

There  is  such  a  thing  as  a  kind  of  love  or  affection  that  a  man 
may  have  towards  persons  or  things,  which  does  properly  arise 
from  self-love;  a  preconceived  relation  to  himself,  or  some  respect 
already  manifested  by  another  to  him,  or  some  benefit  already  receiv- 
ed or  depended  on,  is  truly  the  first  foundation  of  his  love,  and  what 
his  affection  does  wholly  arise  from;  and  is  what  precedes  any 
relish  of,  or  delight  in,  the  nature  and  qualities  inherent  in  the 
being  beloved,  as  beautiful  and  amiable.  When  the  first  thing 
that  draws  a  man's  benevolence  to  another,  is  the  beholding  those 
qualifications  and  properties  in  him,  which  appear  to  him  lovely 
in  themselves;  and  the  subject  of  them,  on  this  account,  worthy 
of  esteem  and  good  will,  love  arises  in  a  very  different  manner, 
than  when  it  first  arises  from  some  gift  bestowed  by  another  or 
depended  on  from  him,  as  a  judge  loves  and  favours  a  man  that 
has  bribed  him;  or  from  the  relation  he  supposes  another  has  to 
him,  as  a  man  who  loves  another,  because  he  looks  upon  him  as 
his  child.  When  love  to  another  arises  thus,  it  does  truly  and 
properly  arise  from  self-love. 

That  kind  of  affection  to  God  or  Jesus  Christ,  which  does  thus 
properly  arise  from  self-love,  can  not  be  a  truly  gracious  and  spi- 
ritual love,  as  appears  from  what  has  been  said  already:  for  self- 
love  is  a  principle  entirely  natural,  and  as  much  in  the  hearts  of 
devils  as  angels;  and  therefore  surely  nothing  that  is  the  mere  re- 
sult of  it  can  be  supernatural  and  divine,  in  the  manner  before 
described.!  Christ  plainly  speaks  of  this  kind  of  love,  as  what 
is  nothing  beyond  the  love  of  w  icked  men,  Luke  vi.  S2.  "  If  ye 
love  them  that  love  you,  what  thank  have  ye?  For  sinners  also 
love  those  that  love  them."  And  the  devil  himself  knew  that 
that  kind  of  respect  to  God  which  was  so  mercenary,  as  to  be  only 

•}■  "There  is  a  natural  love  'o  Clirist,  as  to  one  ihat  doih  thee  good,  and 
for  thine  own  ends;  and  spiritual,  T  r  iiimself,  wliereby  the  Lord  only  is  ex» 
altecl."     Shepard's  Parable  tif  the  Ten  Virgins,  P,  I,  p.  ^5. 
Z 


182  SECOND  SIGN  OF 

for  benefits  received  or  depended  on  (which  is  all  one)  is  worth- 
less in  the  sight  of  God;  otherwise  he  never  would  have  made 
use  of  such  a  slander  before  God,  against  Job,  as  in  Job  i,  9,  10; 
"  Doth  Job  serve  God  for  nought?  Hast  not  thou  made  an  hedge 
about  him,  and  about  his  house,"  &c.  Nor  would  God  ever  have 
implicilly  allowed  the  objection  to  have  been  good,  in  case  the 
accusation  had  been  true,  by  allowing  that  that  matter  should  be 
tried,  and  that  Job  should  be  so  dealt  with,  that  it  might  appear 
in  the  event  whether  Job's  respect  to  God  was  thus  mercenary  or 
not,  and  by  putting  the  proof  of  the  sincerity  and  goodngss  of  his 
respect  upon  that  issUe. 

It  is  unreasonable  to  think  otherwise,  than  that  the  first  foun- 
dation of  a  true  love  to  God,  is  that  whereby  he  is  in  himself 
lovely,  or  worthy  to  be  loved,  or  the  supreme  loveliness  of  his 
nature.  This  is  certainly  what  makes  him  chiefly  amiable.  What 
chiefly  makes  a  man  or  any  creature  lovely,  is  his  excellency; 
and  so  what  chiefly  renders  God  lovely,  and  must  undoubtedly  be 
the  chief  ground  of  true  love,  is  his  excellency.  God's  nature,  or 
the  divinit}',  is  infinitely  excellent;  yea  it  is  infinite  beauty,  bright- 
ness, and  glory  itself.  But  how  can  that  be  true  love  of  this 'ex- 
cellent and  lovely  nature,  which  is  not  built  on  the  foundation  of 
its  true  loveliness?  How  can  tliat  be  true  love  of  beauty  and 
brightness,  which  is  not  for  beauty  and  brightness'  sake?  How 
can  that  be  a  true  prizing  of  that  which  is  in  itself  infinitely  wor- 
thy and  precious,  which  is  not  for  the  sake  of  its  worthiness  and 
preciousness?  This  infinite  excellency  of  the  divine  nature,  as  it 
is  in  itself,  is  the  true  ground  of"  all  that  is  good  in  God  in  any 
respect;  but  how  can  a  man  truly  and  rightly  love  God,  without 
loving  him  for  that  excellency  in  him,  which  is  the  foundation  of 
all  that  is  in  any  manner  of  respect  good  or  desirable  in  him? 
They  whose  affection  to  Grod  is  founded  first  on  his  profitableness 
to  them,  their  affection  begins  at  the  wrong  end;  they  regard  God 
only  for  the  utmost  limit  of  the  stream  of  divine  good,  where  it 
touches  them,  and  reaches  their  interest;  and  have  no  respect  to 
that  infinite  glory  of  God's  nature^  which  is  the  original  good, 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  183 

and  the  true  fountain  of  all  good,  the  first  fountain  of  all  loveli- 
ness of  every  kind,  and  so  the  first  foundation  of  all  true  love. 

A  natural  principle  of  self-love  may  be  the  foundation  of  great 
affections  towards  God  and  Christ,  without  seeing  any  thing  of 
the  beauty  and  glory  of  the  divine  nature.  There  is  a  certain 
gratitude  that  is  a  mere  natural  thing.  Gratitude  is  one  of  the 
natural  affections  of  the  soul  of  man,  as  well  as  anger;  and  there 
is  a  gratitude  that  arises  from  self-love,  very  much  in  the  same 
manner  as  anger  does.  Anger  in  men  is  an  affection  excited 
against  another,  or  in  opposition  to  another,  for  something  in  him 
that  crosses  self-love.  Gratitude  is  an  affection  one  has  towards 
another,  for  loving  him,  or  gratifying  him,  or  for  something  in  him 
that  suits  self-love.  And  there  may  be  a  kind  of  gratitude,  with- 
out any  true  or  proper  love;  as  there  may  be  anger  with- 
out any  proper  hatred,  as  in  parents  towards  their  children,  that 
they  may  be  angry  with,  and  yet  at  the  same  time  have  a  strong 
habitual  love  to  them.  This  gratitude  is  a  principle  which  is  an 
exercise  in  wicked  men,  in  that  which  Christ  declares  concerning 
them,  in  Luke  vi.  where  he  says,  sinners  love  those  that  love 
them;  and  which  he  declares  concerning  even  the  publicans,  who 
were  some  of  the  most  carnal  and  profligate  sort  of  men,  Mat.  v. 
46.  This  is  the  very  principle  that  is  wrought  upon  by  bribery 
in  unjust  judges;  and  it  is  a  principle  that  even  the  brute  beasts 
do  exercise;  a  dog  will  love  his  master  that  is  kind  to  him.  And 
we  see  in  innumerable  instances,  that  mere  nature  is  sufficient  to 
excite  gratitude  in  men,  or  affect  their  hearts  with  thankfulness 
to  others  for  kindnesses  received ;  and  sometimes  towards  them 
whom  at  the  same  time  they  have  an  habitual  enmity  against. 
Thus  Saul  was  once  and  again  greatly  affected,  and  even  dissolv- 
ed with  gratitude  towards  David  for  sparing  his  life,  and  yet  re- 
mained an  habitual  enemy  to  him.  And  as  men  from  mere  na- 
ture may  be  thus  affected  towards  men,  so  they  may  towards  God. 
There  is  nothing  hinders  but  that  the  same  self-love  may  work 
after  the  same  manner  towards  God  as  towards  men.  And  we 
have  manifest  instances  of  it  in  scripture;  as  indeed  the  children 
of  Israel,  who  sang  God's  praises  at  the  Red  Sea,  but  soon  forgot 


184  SECOND  SIGN  OF 

God's  works:  and  in  Naaman  the  Syrian,  who  was  greatly  ai- 
lected  with  the  miraculous  cure  of  his  leprosy,  so  as  to  have  his 
heart  engaged  thenceforward  to  Avorship  the  God  that  had  healed 
him,  and  him  only,  excepting  Avhen  it  would  expose  him  to  be  ru- 
ined in  his  temporal  interest.  So  was  Nebuchadnezzar  greatly 
affected  with  God's  goodness  to  him,  in  restoring  him  to  his  rea- 
son and  kingdom,  after  his  dwelling  with  the  beasts. 

Gratitude  being  thus  a  natural  principle,  it  renders  ingratitude 
so  much  the  more  vile  and  heinous;  because  it  shows  a  dreadful 
prevalence  of  wickedness,  when  it  even  overbears  and  suppresses 
the  better  principles  of  human  nature:  As  it  is  mentioned  as  an 
evidence  of  the  high  degree  of  the  wickedness  of  many  of  the  hea- 
then, that  they  were  without  natural  affection,  Rom.  ii.  31.  But 
that  the  want  of  gratitude,  or  natural  affection,  is  evidence  of  a 
high  degree  of  vice,  is  no  argument  that  all  gratitude  and  natural 
affection  has  the  nature  of  virtue  or  saving  grace. 

Self-love,  through  the  exercise  of  mere  natural  gratitude,  may 
be  the  foundation  of  a  sort  of  love  to  God  many  ways.  A  kind 
of  love  may  arise  from  a  false  notion  of  God,  that  men  have  been 
educated  in,  or  have  some  way  imbibed;  as  though  he  were  only 
goodness  and  mercy^  and  not  revenging  justice;  or  as  though  the 
exercises  of  his  goodness  were  necessary,  and  not  free  and  sove- 
reign; or  as  though  his  goodness  were  dependent  on  what  is  in 
them,  and  as  it  were  constrained  by  them.  Men  on  such  grounds 
as  these^may  love  a  God  of  their  own  forming  in  their  imagina- 
tions, when  they  are  far  from  loving  such  a  God  as  reigns  in 
heaven. 

Again,  self-love  may  be  the  foundation  of  an  affection  in  men 
towards  God,  through  a  great  insensibility  of  their  state  with  re- 
jrard  to  God,  and  for  want  of  conviction  of  conscience  to  make 
them  sensible  how  dreadfully  they  have  provoked  God  to  anger; 
they  have  no  sense  of  the  heinousness  of  sin,  as  against  God, 
and  of  the  infinite  and  terrible  opposition  of  the  holy  nature  of 
God  against  it:  and  so,  having  formed  in  their  minds  such  a  God 
/  as  suits  them,  and  thinking  God  to  be  such  a  one  as  themselves^ 
who  favours  and  agrees  with  them,  they  may  like  him  very  well, 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  185 

» 

and  feel  a  sort  of  love  to  him,  when  they  are  far  from  loving  the 
true  God.  And  mens  affections  may  be  much  moved  towards 
God  from  self-love,  by  some  remarkable  outward  benefits  received 
from  God,  as  it  was  with  Naaman,  Nebuchadnezzai'j  and  the 
children  of  Israel  at  the  Red  Sea. 

Again,  a  very  high  affection  towards  God  may  and  often  does 
arise  in  men,  from  an  opinion  of  the  favour  and  love  of  God  to 
them,  as  the  first  foundation  of  their  love  to  him.  After  awaken- 
ings and  distress,  through  fears  of  hell,  they  may  suddenly  get  a 
notion,  through  some  impression  on  their  imagination,  or  imme- 
diate suggestion,  with  or  without  texts  of  scripture,  or  by  some 
other  means,  that  God  loves  them  and  has  forgiven  their  sins,  and 
made  them  his  children;  and  this  is  the  first  thing  that  causes 
their  affections  to  flow  towards  God  and  Jesus  Christ:  and  then, 
after  this  and  upon  this  foundation,  many  things  in  God  may  ap- 
pear lovely  to  them,  and  Christ  may  seem  excellent.  And  if  such 
persons  are  asked  whether  God  appears  lovely  and  amiable  in  him- 
self ?  they  would  perhaps  readily  answer,  Yes;  when  indeed,  if 
this  matter  be  strictly  examined,  this  good  opinion  of  God  was  pur- 
chased and  paid  for  before  ever  they  afforded  it,  in  the  distinguish- 
ing and  infinite  benefits  they  imagined  they  received  from  God: 
and  they  allow  God  to  be  lovely  in  himself  no  otherwise  than  that 
he  has  forgiven  them,  and  accepted  them,  and  loves  them  above 
most  in  the  world,  and  has  engaged  to  improve  all  his  infinite  pow- 
er and  wisdom  in  prefering,  dignifying  and  exalting  them,  and 
will  do  for  them  just  as  they  would  have  him.  When  once  they 
are  firm  in  this  apprehension,  it  is  easy  to  own  God  and  Christ 
to  be  lovely  and  glorious,  and  to  admire  and  to  extol  them.  It  is 
easy  for  them  to  own  Christ  to  be  a  lovely  person,  and  the  best 
in  the  world,  when  they  are  first  firm  In  it,  that  he,  though  Lord 
of  the  universe  Is  captivated  with  love  to  them,  and  has  his  hearl 
swallowed  up  in  them,  and  prizes  them  far  beyond  most  of  their 
neighbours,  and  loved  them  from  eternity,  and  died  for  them,  and 
will  make  them  reign  in  eternal  glory  with  him  in  heaven.  When 
this  is  the  case  with  carnal  men,  their  very  lusts  will  make  him 
seem  lovely:  pride  itself  will  prejudice  them  in  favour  of  that  which 


186  SECOND  SIGN  OP  ' 

they  call  Christ:  selfish,  proud  man  naturally  calls  that  lovely  that 
greatly  contributes  to  his  interest,  and  gratifies  his  ambition. 

And  as  this  sort  of  persons  begin,  so  they  go  on.  Their  affec- 
tions are  raised  from  time  to  time,  primarily  on  this  foundation  of 
self-love  and  a  conceit  of  God's  love  to  them.  Many  have  a  false 
notion  of  communion  with  God,  as  though  it  were  carried  on  by 
impulses,  and  whispers,  and  external  representations  immediately 
made  to  their  imagination.  These  things  they  often  have,  which 
they  take  to  be  manifestations  of  God's  great  love  to  them,  and 
evidences  of  their  high  exaltation  above  others  of  mankind,  and 
so  their  affections  are  often  renewedly  set  a  going. 
♦  Whereas  the  exercises  of  true  and  holy  love  in  the  saints  arise 
in  another  way.  They  do  not  first  see  that  God  loves  them,  and 
then  see  that  he  is  lovely,  but  they  first  see  that  God  is  lovely,  and 
that  Christ  is  excellent  and  glorious,  and  their  hearts  are  first  cap- 
tivated with  this  view,  and  the  exercises  of  their  love  are  wont 
from  time  to  time  to  begin  here,  and  to  arise  primarily  from  these 
views,  and  then,  consequentially,  they  see  God's  love  and  great 
favour  to  them.f  The  saint's  affections  begin  with  God,  and  self- 
love  has  a  hand  in  these  affections  consequentially  and  seconda- 
rily only.  On  the  contrary,  those  false  affections  begin  with  self, 
and  an  acknowledgment  of  an  excellency  in  God,  and  an  affect- 
edness  with  it,  is  only  consequential  and  dependent.  In  the  love 
of  the  true  saint  God  is  the  lowest  foundation;  the  love  of  the  ex- 
cellency of  his  nature  is  the  foundation  of  all  the  affections  which 
come  afterwards,  wherein  self-love  is  concerned  as  a  handmaid: 
on  the  contrary,  the  hypocrite  lays  himself  at  the  bottom  of  all, 
as  the  first  foundation,  and  lays  on  God  as  the  superstructure,  and 
even  his  acknowledgment  of  God's  glory  itself  depends  onhis  re- 
gard to  his  private  interest. 

Self-love  may  not  only  influence  men,  so  as  to  cause  them  to 
be  affected  with  God's  kindness  to  them  separately;  but  also 

f  "  There  is  a  seeing  of  Christ  after  a  man  beheves,  which  is  Christ  in  his 
love,  SiC.  But  1  speak  of  that  first  sig'ht  of  liim  that  precedes  the  second  act 
of  faith;  and  it  is  an  intuitive,  or  real  sight  of  him  as  he  is  in  his  glory." 
SheparcTs  Par.  of  the  Ten  Virgins,  Part,  I.  p.  74. 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS,  187 

with  God^  kindness  to  them  as  parts  of  a  community:  as  a  na- 
tural principle  of  self-love,  without  any  other  principle,  may  be 
suthcient  to  make  a  man  concerned  for  the  interest  of  the  na- 
tion to  which  he  belongs:  as,  for  instance,  in  the  present  war, 
self  love  may  make  natural  men  rejoice  at  the  successes  of  our 
nation,  and  sorry  for  their  disadvantages,  they  being  concerned  as 
members  of  the  body.  So  the  same  natural  principle  may  ex- 
tend further,  and  even  to  the  world  of  mankind,  and  might  be  af- 
fected with  the  benefits  the  inhabitants  of  the  earth  have,  beyond 
those  of  the  inhabitants  of  other  planets,  if  we  knew  that  such 
there  were,  and  how  it  was  with  them.  So  this  principle  may 
cause  men  to  be  affected  with  the  benefits  that  mankind  have  re- 
ceived beyond  the  fallen  angels.  And  hence  men  from  this  prin- 
ciple may  be  much  affected  with  the  wonderful  goodness  of  God 
to  mankind,  his  great  goodness  in  giving  his  Son  to  die  for  fallen 
man,  and  the  marvellous  love  of  Christ  in  suffering  such  great 
things  for  us,  and  with  the  great  glory  they  hear  God  has  provi- 
ded in  heaven  for  us;  looking  on  themselves  as  persons  concerned 
and  interested,  as  being  some  of  this  species  of  creatures  so  high- 
ly favoured.  The  same  principle  of  natural  gratitude  may  influ- 
ence men  here,  as  in  the  case  of  personal  benefits. 

But  these  things  that  I  have  said  do  by  no  means  imply,  that 
all  gratitude  to  God  is  a  mere  natural  thing,  and  that  there  is  no  such 
thing  as  a  spiritual  gratitude,  which  is  a  holy  and  divine  affection. 
They  imply  no  more  than  that  there  is  a  gratitude  that  is  merely  na- 
tural, and  that  when  persons  have  affections  toward  God  only  or  pri- 
marily for  benefits  received,  their  affection  is  only  the  exercise  of  a 
natural  gratitude.  There  is  doubtless  such  a  thing  as  a  gracious 
gratitude,  which  does  greatly  differ  from  all  that  gratitude  which 
natural  men  experience.     It  differs  in  the  following  respects: 

1.  True  gratitude  or  thankfulness  to  God  for  his  kindness  to  us, 
arises  from  a  foundation  laid  before,  of  love  to  God  for  what  he 
is  in  himself;  whereas  a  natural  gratitude  has  no  such  antecedent 
foundation.  The  gracious  stirrings  of  grateful  affection  to  God, 
for  kindness  received,  always  are  from  a  stock  of  love  already  in 
the  heart,  established  in  the  first  place  on  other  grounds,  viz. 


188  SECOND  SIGN  OF 

flow  out  on  occasions  of  God's  kindness.  The  saint,  having  seen 
the  glory  of  God,  and  his  heart  being  overcome  by  it,  and  capti- 
vated with  love  to  him  on  that  account,  his  heart  hereby  becomes 
tender,  and  easily  affected  with  kindnesses  received.  If  a  man 
has  no  love  to  another,  yet  gratitude  may  be  moved  by  some  ex- 
traordinary kindness,  as  in  Saul  towards  David:  but  this  is  not 
the  same  kind  of  thing  as  a  man's  gratitude  to  a  dear  friend, 
that  his  heart  was  before  possessed  with  a  high  esteem  of,  and 
love  to;  whose  heart  by  this  means  became  tender  towards  him, 
and  more  easily  affected  with  gratitude,  and  affected  in  another 
manner.  Self-love  is  not  excluded  from  a  gracious  gratitude;  the 
saints  love  God  for  his  kindness  to  them,  Psal.  cxvi.  1,  "  I  love 
the  Lord,  because  he  hath  heard  the  voice  of  my  supplication." 
But  something  else  is  included;  and  another  love  prepares  the 
way  and  lays  the  foundation  for  these  grateful  affections. 

2.  In  a  gracious  gratitude  men  are  affected  with  the  attribute 
of  God's  goodness  and  free  grace,  not  only  as  they  are  concerned 
in  it,  or  as  it  affects  their  interest,  but  as  a  part  of  the  glory 
and  beauty  of  God's  nature.  That  wonderful  and  unparalleled 
grace  of  God,  which  is  manifested  in  the  work  of  redemption,  and 
shines  forth  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ,  is  infinitely  glorious  in 
itself,  and  appears  so  to  the  angels;  it  is  a  great  part  of  the  moral 
perfection  and  beauty  of  God's  nature.  This  would  be  glorious, 
whether  it  were  exercised  towards  us  or  not;  and  the  saint  who 
exercises  a  gracious  thankfulness  for  it,  sees  it  to  be  so,  and  de- 
lights in  it  as  such:  though  his  concern  in  it  serves  the  more  to 
engage  his  mind  and  raise  the  attention  and  affection;  and  self- 
love  here  assists  as  a  handmaid,  being  subservient  to  higher 
principles,  to  lead  forth  the  mind  to  the  view  and  contemplation, 
and  engage  and  fix  the  attention,  and  heighten  the  joy  and  love: 
God's  kindness  to  them  is  a  glass  that  God  sets  before  them, 
wherein  to  behold  the  beauty  of  the  attribute  of  God's  goodness. 
The  exercises  and  displays  of  this  attribute,  by  this  means  are 
brought  near  to  them,  and  set  right  before  them.  So  that  in  a 
holy  thankfulness  to  God,  the  concern  our  interest  has  in  God's 
goodness  is  not  the  first  foundation  of  our  being  affected  with  it; 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  189 

that  was  laid  in  the  heart  before,  in  that  stock  of  love  ■which  was 
to  God  for  his  excellency  in  himself,  that  makes  the  heart  tender 
and  susceptive  of  such  impressions  from  his  goodness  to  us.  Nor  is 
our  own  interest,  or  the  benefits  we  have  received,  the  only  or  the 
chief  objective  ground  of  the  present  exercises  of  the  affection, 
but  God's  goodness  as  part  of  the  beauty  of  his  nature;  although 
the  manifestations  of  that  lovely  attribute,  set  immediately  before 
our  eyes,  in  the  exercises  of  it  for  us,  be  the  special  occasion  of 
the  mind's  attention  to  that  beauty  at  that  time,  and  serves  to  fix 
the  attention  and  heighten  the  affection. 

Some  may  perhaps  be  ready  to  object  against  the  whole  that 
has  been  said,  that  text,  1  John  iv.  1 9,  "  We  love  him  because 
he  first  loved  us,"  as  though  this  implied  that  God's  love  to  the 
true  saints  were  the  first  foundation  of  their  love  to  him. 

In  answer  to  this  I  would  observe  that  the  apostle's  drift  in 
these  words  is  to  magnify  the  love  of  God  to  us  from  hence,  that 
he  loved  us,  while  we  had  no  love  to  him;  as  will  be  manifest  to 
any  one  who  compares  this  verse  and  the  two  following  with  the 
9th,  10th  and  11th  verses.  And  that  God  loved  us  when  we  had 
no  love  to  him,  the  apostle  proves  by  this  argument,  that  God's 
love  to  the  elect  is  the  ground  of  their  love  to  him.  And  that  it  is 
three  ways: — 1.  The  saints'  love  to  God  is  the  fruj^-of  God's  love 
to  them,  as  it  is  the  gift  of  that  love.  God  gave  them  a  spirit  of 
love  to  him  because  he  loved  them  from  eternity.  And  in  this 
respect  God's  love  to  the  elect  is  the  first  foundation  of  their  love  to 
him,  as  it  is  the  foundation  of  their  regeneration,  and  the  whole 
of  their  redemption.  2.  The  exercises  and  discoveries  that  God 
has  made  in  his  wonderful  love  to  sinful  men,  by  Jesus  Christ  in 
the  work  of  redemption,  is  one  of  the  chief  manifestations  which 
God  has  made  of  the  glory  of  his  moral  perfection  to  both  angels 
and  men;  and  so  is  one  main  objective  ground  of  the  love  of  both 
to  God;  in  a  good  consistence  with  what  was  said  before.  3.  God's 
love  to  a  particular  elect  person,  discovered  by  his  conversion,  is 
a  great  manifestation  of  God's  moral  perfection  and  glory  to  him, 
and  a  proper  occasion  of  the  excitation  of  the  love  of  holy  grati- 
tude, agreeable  to  what  was  before  said.     And  that  the  saints  do 

9     4 


190  SECOND  SIGN  OF 

in  these  respects  love  God,  because  lie  first  loved  them,  fully  an- 
swers the  design  of  the  apostle's  argument  in  that  place.  So  that 
no  good  argument  can  be  drawn  from  hence  against  a  spiritual 
and  gracious  love  in  the  saints,  arising  primarily  from  the  excel- 
lency of  divine  things  as  they  are  in  themselves,  and  not  from  any 
conceived  relation  they  bear  to  their  interest. 

And  as  it  is  with  the  love  of  the  saints,  so  it  is  with  their  joy 
and  spiritual  delight  and  pleasure;  the  first  foundation  of  it  is  not 
any  consideration  or  conception  of  their  interest  in  divine  things; 
but  it  primarily  consists  in  the  sweet  entertainment  their  minds 
have  in  the  view  or  contemplation  of  the  divine  and  holy  beauty  of 
these  things,  as  they  are  in  themselves.  And  this  is  indeed  the 
verv  main  difference  between  the  joy  of  the  hypoorite  and  the 
joy  of  the  true  saint.  The  former  rejoices  in  himself;  self  is  the 
first  foundation  of  his  joy:  the  latter  rejoices  in  God.  The  hypo- 
crite has  his  mind  pleased  and  delighted,  in  the  first  place,  with 
his  own  privilege,  and  the  happiness  which  he  supposes  he  ha» 
attained  to,  or  shall  attain  to.  True  saints  have  their  minds,  in 
the  first  place,  inexpressibly  pleased  and  delighted  with  the  sweet 
ideas  of  the  glorious  and  amiable  nature  of  the  things  of  God. 
And  this  in  the  spring  of  all  their  delights,  and  the  cream  of  all 
their  pleasures:  it  is  the  joy  of  their  joy.  This  sweet  and  ravishing 
entertainment  they  have  in  the  view  of  the  beautiful  and  delightful 
nature  of  divine  things,  is  the  foundation  of  the  joy  that  they  have 
afterwards,  in  the  consideration  of  their  being  theirs.  But  the 
dependence  of  the  affections  of  hypocrites  is  in  a  contrary  order: 
they  first  rejoice  and  are  elevated  with  it,  that  tliey  are  made  so 
much  of  by  God;  and  then  on  that  ground  he  seems,  in  a  sort, 
lovely  to  them. 

The  first  foundation  of  the  delight  a  true  saint  has  in  God,  is 
his  own  perfection,  and  the  first  foundation  of  the  delight  he  has 
in  Christ  is  his  own  beauty;  he  appears  in  himself  the  chief 
among  ten  thousand,  and  altogether  lovely.  The*  ^vay  of  salva- 
tion by  Christ  is  a  delightful  way  to  him,  for  the  sweet  and  ad- 
mirable manifestations  of  the  divine  perfections  in  it:  the  holy 
doctrines  of  the  gospel  by  which  God  is  exalted  and  man  abased, 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  191 

holiness  honoured  and  promoted,  and  sin  greatly  disgraced  and 
discouraged,  and  free  and  sovereign  love  manifested,  are  glorious 
doctrines  in  his  eyes,  and  sweet  to  his  taste,  prior  to  any  concep- 
tion of  his  interest  in  these  things.  Indeed  the  saints  rejoice  in 
their  interest  in  God,  and  that  Christ  is  theirs;  and  so  they  have 
great  reason;  but  this  is  not  the  first  spring  of  their  joy.  They 
first  rejoice  in  God  as  glorious  and  excellent  in  himself,  and  then 
secondarily  rejoice  in  it,  that  so  glorious  a  God  is  theirs.  They 
first  have  their  hearts  filled  with  sweetness,  from  the  view  of 
Christ's  excellency,  and  the  excellency  of  his  grace  and  the  beauty 
of  the  way  of  salvation  by  him,  and  then  they  have  a  secondary 
joy  in  that  so  excellent  a  Saviour,  and  such  excellent  grace  are 
theirs, t  But  that  which  is  the  true  saint's  superstructure  is  the 
hypocrite's  foundation.  When  they  hear  of  the  wonderful  things 
of  the  gospel  of  God's  great  love  in  sending  his  Son,  of  Christ's 
dying  love  to  sinners,  and  the  great  things  Christ  has  purchased 
and  promised  to  the  saints,  and  hear  these  things  livelily  and  elo- 
quently set  forth,  they  may  hear  ^vith  a  great  deal  of  pleasure,  and 
be  lifted  up  with  what  they  hear;  but  if  their  joy  be  examined,  it 
will  be  found  to  have  no  other  foundation  than  this,  that  they 
look  upon  these  things  as  theirs,  all  this  exalts  them,  they  love  to 
hear  of  the  great  love  of  Christ,  so  vastly  distinguishing  some 
from  others;  for  self-love,  and  even  pride  itself  makes  them  af- 
fect great  distinction  from  others.  No  wonder,  in  this  confident 
opinion  of  their  ovvn  good  estate,  that  they  feel  well  under  such 
doctrine,  and  are  pleased  in  the  highest  degree,  in  hearing  how 
much  God  and  Christ  makes  of  them.  So  that  their  joy  is  reallv 
a  joy  in  themselves,  and  not  in  God. 

•}■  Dr.  Owen  on  the  Spirit,  p.  199,  speaking  of  a  common  work  of  the  Spi- 
rit, says,  "  The  effects  oftliis  work  on  the  mind,  which  is  the  first  subject 
afi'ected  with  it,  proceeds  not  so  far  as  to  give  delight,  complacency  and  sa- 
tisfaction, in  the  lovely  spiritual  nature  and  excellency  of  the  things  reveal- 
ed unto  it.  The  true  nature  of  saving  illumination  consists  in  this,  that  it 
gives  the  mind  such  a  direct  intuitive  insight  and  prospect  into  spiritual 
things,  as  that  in  their  own  spiritual  nature  they  suit,  please,  and  satisfy  it; 
so  that  it  is  transformed  into  them,  cast  into  the  mould  of  them,  and  rests 
in  them. 


1  , 


192 


SECOND    SIGN    OF 


And  because  the  joy  of  hypocrites  is  in  themselves,  hence  it 
comes  to  pass  that  in  their  rejoicings  and  elevations,  they  are 
wont  to  keep  their  eye  upon  themselves:  having  received  what 
they  call  spiritual  discoveries  or  experiences,  their  minds  are 
taken  up  about  them,  admiring  their  own  experiences;  and  what 
they  are  principally  taken  and  elevated  with,  is  not  the  glory  of 
God,  or  beauty  of  Christ,  but  the  beauty  of  their  experiences. 
They  keep  thinking  with  themselves,  What  a  good  experience 
is  this!  What  a  great  discovery  is  this!  What  wonderful  things 
have  I  met  with !  And  so  they  put  their  experiences  in  the  place 
of  Christ,  and  his  beauty  and  fulness;  and  instead  of  rejoicing 
in  Christ  Jesus,  they  rejoice  in  their  admirable  experiences;  in- 
stead of  feeding  and  feasting  their  souls  in  the  view  of  what  is 
without  them,  viz.  the  innate,  sweet  refreshing  amiableness  of 
th^:  things  exhibited  in  the  gospel,  their  eyes  are  off  from  these 
things,  or  at  least  they  view  them  only  as  it  were  sideways;  but 
the  object  that  fixes  their  contemplation,  is  their  experience;  and 
they  are  feeding  their  souls,  and  feasting  a  selfish  principle,  with 
a  vicAv  of  their  discoveries:  they  take  more  comfort  in  their  dis- 
coveries than  in  Christ  discovered,  which  is  the  true  notion  of 
living  upon  experiences  and  frames,  and  not  a  using  experiences 
as  the  signs  on  which  they  rely  for  evidence  of  their  good  estate, 
which  some  call  living  on  experiences;  though  it  be  very  ob- 
servable, that  some  of  them  who  do  so  are  most  notorious  for 
living  upon  experiences,  according  to  the  true  notion  of  it. 

The  affections  of  hypocrites  are  very  often  after  this  manner; 
they  are  first  much  affected  with  some  impression  on  their  ima- 
gination, or  some  impulse  which  they  take  to  be  an  immediate 
suggestion  or  testimony  from  God  of  his  love  and  their  happiness, 
and  high  privileges  in  some  respect,  either  with  or  without  a  text 
of  scripture;  they  are  mightily  taken  with  this  as  a  great  disco- 
very, and  hence  arise  high  affections.  And  when  their  affections 
are  raised,  then  they  view  those  high  affections,  and  call  them 
great  and  wonderful  experiences;  and  they  have  a  notion  that  God 
is  greatly  pleased  with  those  affections;  and  this  affects  them  more; 
and  so  they  are  affected  with  their  affections.     And  thus  their  af- 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  193 

fections  rise  higher  and  higher,  until  they  sometimes  are  perfectly 
swallowed  up:  and  self-conceit,  and  a  fierce  zeal  rises  withal; 
and  all  is  built  like  a  castle  in  the  air,  on  no  othei'  foundation  but 
imagination,  self-love  and  pride. 

And  as  the  thoughts  of  this  sort  of  persons  are,  so  is  their  talk; 
for  out  of  the  abundance  of  their  heart  their  mouth  speaketh.  As 
in  their  high  affections  they  keep  their  eye  upon  the  beauty  of  their 
experiences,  and  greatness  of  their  attainments;  so  they  are  great 
talkers  about  themselves.  The  true  saint,  when  under  great  spi- 
ritual affections,  from  the  fulness  of  his  heart,  is  ready  to  be  speak- 
ing much  of  God  and  his  glorious  perfections  and  works,  and  of 
the  beauty  and  amiableness  of  Christ,  and  the  glorious  things  of 
the  gospel:  but  hypocrites,  in  their  high  affections,  talk  more  of 
the  discovery  than  they  do  of  the  thing  discovered;  they  are  full 
of  talk  about  the  great  things  they  have  met  with,  the  wonderful 
discoveries  they  have  had,  how  sure  they  are  of  the  love  of  God 
to  them,  how  safe  their  condition  is,  and  how  they  know  they  shall 
go  to  heaven,  &c. 

A  true  saint,  when  in  the  enjoyment  of  true  discoveries  of  the 
sweet  glory  of  God  and  Christ,  has  his  mind  too  much  captivated 
and  engaged  by  what  he  views  without  himself,  to  stand  at  that 
time  to  view  himself  and  his  own  attainments.  It  would  be  a  di- 
version and  loss  which  he  could  not  bear,  to  take  his  eye  off  from 
the  ravishing  object  of  his  contemplation,  to  survey  his  own  ex- 
perience, and  to  spend  time  in  thinking  with  himself,  what  a  high 
attainment  this  is,  and  what  a  good  story  I  now  have  to  tell  others. 
Nor  does  the  pleasure  and  sweetness  of  his  mind  at  that  time 
chiefly  arise  from  the  consideration  of  the  safety  of  his  state,  or 
any  thing  he  has  in  view  of  his  own  qualifications,  experiences, 
or  circumstances;  but  from  the  divine  and  supreme  beauty  of  what 
is  the  object  of  his  direct  view,  without  himself;  which  sweetly 
entertains  and  strongly  holds  his  mind. 

As  the  love  and  joy  of  hypocrites  are  all  from  the  source  of 
self-love;  so  it  is  with  their  other  affections,  their  sorrow  for  sin, 
their  humiliation  and  submission,  their  religious  desires  and  zeal: 


194  THIRD  SIGN  OF 

every  thing  is,  as  it  were,  paid  for  beforehand,  in  God's  highly 
gratifying  their  self-love  and  their  lusts,  by  making  so  much  of 
them,  and  exalting  them  so  highly,  as  things  are  in  their  imagin- 
ation. It  is  easy  for  nature,  as  corrupt  as  it  is,  under  a  notion  of 
being  already  some  of  the  liighest  favourites  of  heaven,  and  having 
a  God  who  does  so  protect  them  and  favour  them  in  their  sins,  to 
love  this  imaginary  God  that  suits  them  so  well,  and  to  extol  him, 
and  submit  to  him,  and  to  be  fierce  and  zealous  for  him.  The 
high  affections  of  many  are  all  built  on  the  supposition  of  their 
being  eminent  saints.  If  that  opinion  which  they  have  of  them- 
selves were  taken  away,  if  they  thought  they  were  some  of  the 
lower  form  of  saints  (though  they  should  yet  suppose  themselves 
to  be  real  saints)  their  high  affections  would  fall  to  the  ground. 
If  they  only  saw  a  little  of  the  sinfulness  and  vileness  of  their  OAvn 
hearts,  and  their  deformity  in  the  midst  of  their  best  duties  and 
their  best  affections,  it  would  knock  their  affections  on  the  head; 
.  because  their  affections  are  built  upon  self,  therefore  self-know- 
ledge would  destroy  them.  But  as  to  truly  gracious  affections, 
they  are  built  elsewhere;  they  have  their  foundation  out  of  self  in 
God  and  Jesus  Christ;  and  therefore  a  discovery  of  themselves,  of 
their  own  deformity,  and  the  meanness  of  their  experiences,  though 
it  will  purify  their  affections,  yet  it  will  not  destroy  them,  but  in 
some  respects  sweeten  and  heighten  them. 

III.  Those  affections  that  are  truly  holy,  are  primarily  founded 
on  the  loveliness  of  the  moral  excellency  of  divine  things.  Or 
(to  express  it  otherwise)  a  love  to  divine  things  for  the  beauty  and 
sweetness  of  their  moral  excellency,  is  the  first  beginning  and 
spring  of  all  holy  affections. 

Here,  for  the  sake  of  the  more  illiterate  reader,  I  will  explain 
what  I  mean  by  the  moral  excellency  of  divine  things. 

And  it  may  be  observed,  that  the  word  moral  is  not  to  be  un- 
derstood here  according  to  the  common  and  vulgar  acceptation  of 
the  word,  when  men  speak  of  morality  and  a  moral  behaviour; 
meaning  an  outward  conformity  to  the  duties  of  the  moral  law, 
and  especially  the  duties  of  the  second  table;  or  intending  no  more 
at  farthest,  than  such  seeming  virtues  as  proceed  from  natural 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  195 

principles  in  opposition  to  those  virtues  that  are  more  inward, 
spiritual,  and  divine;  as  the  honesty,  justice,  generosity,  good  na- 
ture, and  public  spirit  of  many  of  the  heathen  are  called  moral 
virtues,  in  distinction  from  the  holy  faith,  love,  humility,  and  hea- 
venly mindedness  of  true  Christians:  I  say,  the  word  moral  is  not 
to  be  understood  thus  in  this  place. 

But  in  order  to  a  right  understanding  what  is  meant,  it  must  be 
observed,  that  divines  commonly  make  a  distinction  between  mo- 
ral good  and  evil,  and  natural  good  and  evil.  By  moral  evil  they 
mean  the  evil  of  sin,  or  that  evil  which  is  against  duty,  and  con- 
trary to  what  is  right  and  ought  to  be.  By  natural  evil  they  do 
not  mean  that  evil  which  is  properly  opposed  to  duty;  but  that 
which  is  contrary  to  mere  nature,  without  any  respect  to  a  rule  of 
duty.  So  the  evil  of  suffering  is  called  natural  evil,  such  as  pain 
and  torment,  disgrace,  and  the  like.  These  things  are  contrary 
to  mere  nature,  contrary  to  the  nature  of  both  bad  and  good,  hate- 
ful to  wicked  men  and  devils,  as  well  as  good  men  and  angels. 
So  likewise  natural  defects  are  called  ngturaj  evils,  as  if  a  child 
be  monstrous,  or  a  natural  fool;  these  are  natural  evils,  but  are 
not  moral  evils,  because  they  have  not  properly  the  nature  of  the 
evil  of  sin.  On  the  other  hand,  as  by  moral  evil,  divines  mean 
the  evil  of  sin,  or  that  which  is  contrary  to  what  is  right;  so  by 
moral  good,  they  mean  that  which  is  contrary  to  sin,  or  that  good 
in  beings  who  have  will  and  choice,  whereby,  as  voluntary  agents, 
they  are,  and  act  as  it  becomes  them  to  be  and  to  act,  or  so  as  is 
most  fit  and  suitable  and  lovely.  By  natural  good,  they  mean  that 
good  that  is  entirely  of  a  different  kind  from  holiness  or  virtue, 
viz.  that  which  perfects  or  suits  nature,  considering  nature  ab- 
stractly from  any  holy  or  unholy  qualifications,  and  without  any 
relation  to  any  rule  or  measure  of  right  and  wrong. 

Thus  pleasure  is  a  natural  good;  so  is  honour,  so  is  strength; 
so  is  speculative  knowledge,  human  learning,  and  policy.  Thus 
there  is  a  distinction  to  be  made  between  the  natural  good  that 
men  are  possessed  of,  and  their  moral  good;  and  also  between  the 
natural  and  moral  good  of  the  angels  in  heaven.  The  great  ca- 
pacity of  their  understandings,  and  their  great  strength,  and  the 


196  THIRD  SIGN  OF 

honourable  circumstances  they  are  in  as  the  great  ministers  of 
God's  kingdom,  whence  they  are  called  thrones,  dominions,  princi- 
palities, and  powers,  is  the  natural  good  which  they  are  possessed 
of;  but  their  perfect  and  glorious  holiness  and  goodness,  their  pure 
and  flaming  love  to  God,  and  to  the  saints  and  to  one  another,  is 
their  moral  good.  /So  divines  make  a  distinction  between  the  na- 
tural and  moral  perfections  of  God:  by  the  moral  perfections  of 
God,  they  mean  those  attributes  which  God  exercises  as  a  moral 
agent,  or  whereby  the  heart  and  will  of  God  are  good,  right  and 
infinitely  becoming  and  lovely;  such  as  his  righteousness,  truth, 
faithfulness,  and  goodness;  or,  in  one  word,  his  holiness.  By 
God's  natural  attributes  or  perfections,  they  mean  those  attributes, 
wherein,  according  to  our  way  of  conceiving  of  God,  consists,  not 
the  holiness  or  moral  goodness  of  God,  but  his  greatness;  such  as 
his  power,  his  knowledge,  whereby  he  knows  all  things,  and  his 
being  eternal,  from  everlasting  to  everlasting,  his  omnipresence 
and  his  awful  and  terrible  majesty. 

The  moral  excellency  of  an  intelligent  voluntary  being  is  more 
immediately  seated  in  the  heart  or  will  of  moral  agents.  That 
intelligent  being,  w^hose  will  is  truly  right  and  lovely,  is  morally 
good  or  excellent. 

This  moral  excellency  of  an  intelligent  being,  when  it  is  true 

/and  real,  and  not  only  external,  or  merely  seeming  and  counter- 
feit, is  holiness.  Therefore  holiness  comprehends  all  the  true 
moral  excellency  of  intelligent  beings:  there  is  no  other  true  vir- 
tue but  real  holiness.  Holiness  comprehends  all  the  true  virtue 
of  a  good  man,  his  love  to  God,  his  gracious  love  to  men,  his  jus- 
tice, his  charity  and  bowels  of  mercies,  his  gracious  meekness 
and  gentleness,  and  all  other  true  christian  virtues  that  he  has,  be- 
long to  his  holiness.     So  the  holiness  of  God  in  the  more  exten- 

,  sive  sense  of  the  word,  and  the  sense  in  which  the  word  is  com- 
monly, if  not  universally,  used  concerning  God  in  scripture,  is  the 
same  with  the  moral  excellency  of  the  divine  nature,  or  his  puri- 
ty and  beauty  as  a  moral  agent,  comprehending  all  his  moral  per- 
fections, his  righteousness,  faithfulness  and  goodness.  As  in  ho- 
ly men,  their  charity,  christian  kindness  and  mercy,  belong  to 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  197 

their  holioess;  so  the  kindness  and  mercy  of  God  belong  to 
his  holiness?  Holiness  in  man  is  but  the  image  of  God's  holi- 
ness. There  are  not  more  virtues  belonging  to  the  image 
than  are  in  the  original:  derived  holiness  has  not  more  in  it  than 
is  in  that  underived  holiness  which  is  its  fountain:  there  is  no 
more  than  grace  for  grace,  or  grace  in  the  image,  answerable  to 
grace  in  the  original. 

As  there  are  two  kinds  of  attributes  in  God,  according  to  our 
way  of  conceiving  of  him,  his  moral  attributes,  which  are  sum- 
med up  in  his  holiness,  and  his  natural  attributes  of  strength, 
knowledge,  &c,  that  constitute  the  greatness  of  God;  so  there  is  a 
twofold  image  of  God  in  man,  his  moral  or  spiritual  image,  which 
is  his  holiness,  that  is  the  image  of  God's  moral  excellency,  which 
image  was  lost  by  the  fall,  and  God's  natural  image  consisting  iu 
man's  reason  and  understanding,  his  natural  ability,  and  dominion 
over  the  creatures,  which  is  the  image  of  God's  natural  attribute. 

From  what  has  been  said,  it  may  easily  be  understood  what  I 
intend  when  I  say  that  a  love  to  divine  things  for  the  beauty  of 
their  moral  excellency,  is  the  beginning  and  spring  of  all  holy  af- 
fections. It  has  been  already  shown,  under  the  former  head,  that 
the  first  objective  ground  of  all  holy  affections  is  the  supreme  ex- 
cellency of  the  divine  things  as  they  are  in  themselves,  or  in  their 
own  nature:  I  now  proceed  further,  and  say  more  particularly, 
that  that  kind  of  excellency  of  the  nature  of  divine  things,  which 
is  the  first  objective  ground  of  all  holy  affections,  is  their  moral 
excellency,  or  their  holiness.  Holy  persons,  in  the  exercise  of 
holy  affections,  do  love  divine  things  primarily  for  their  holiness: 
they  love  God,  in  the  first  place,  for  the  beauty  of  his  holiness  or 
moral  perfection,  as  being  supremely  amiable  in  itself.  Not  that 
the  saints  in  the  exercise  of  gracious  affections,  do  love  God  only 
for  his  holiness;  all  his  attributes  are  amiable  and  glorious  in  their 
eyes;  they  delight  in  every  divine  perfection;  the  contemplation 
of  the  infinite  greatness,  power  and  knowledge,  and  terrible  ma- 
jesty of  God,  is  pleasant  to  them.  But  their  love  to  God  for  his  holi- 
ness is  what  is  most  fundamental  and  essential  in  their  love.  Here 
it  is  that  true  love  to  God  begins;  all  other  holy  love  to  divine  things 
flows  from  hence:  this  is  the  jnost  essential  and  distinguishing 


19S  ^    '   ■  THIRD    S^IGN  or  |   V 

thing  that  belongs  to  a  holy  love  to  God,  with  regard  to  the  foun- 
dation of  it.  A  love  to  God  for  the  beauty  of  his  moral  attributes 
>  leads  to,  and  necessarily  causes  a  delight  in  God  for  all  his  attri- 
butes; for  his  moral  attributes  can  not  be  without  his  natural  attri- 
butes: for  infinite  holiness  supposes  infinite  wisdom,  and  an  infinite 
capacit)'  and  greatness;  and  all  the  attributes  of  God  do  as  it  were 
imply  one  another. 

The  true  beauty  and  loveliness  of  all  intelligent  beings  do 
primarily  and  most  essentially  consist  in  their  moral  excellency 
or  holiness.  Herein  consists  the  loveliness  of  the  angels,  with- 
out which,  with  all  their  natural  perfections,  their  strength  and 
their  knowledge,  they  would  have  no  more  loveliness  than  devils. 
It  is  a  moral  excellency  alone  that  is  in  itself,  and  on  its  own  ac- 
count, the  excellency  of  intelligent  beings:  it  is  this  that  gives 
beauty  to,  or  rather  is  the  beauty  of  their  natural  perfections  and 
qualifications.  Moral  excellency  is  the  excellency  of  natural  ex- 
cellencies. Natural  qualifications  are  either  excellent  or  other- 
wise, according  as  they  are  joined  with  moral  excellency  or  not. 
Strength  and  knowledge  do  not  render  any  being  lovely  without 
holiness,  but  more  hateful;  though  they  render  them  more  lovely 
when  joined  with  holiness.  Thus  the  elect  angels  are  more  glo- 
rious for  their  strength  and  knowledge,  because  these  natural  per- 
fections of  theirs  are  sanctified  by  their  moral  perfection.  But 
though  the  devils  are  very  strong,  and  of  great  natural  understand- 
ing, they  are  not  the  more  lovely:  they  are  more  terrible  indeed, 
but  not  the  more  amiable;  but  on  the  contrary,  the  more  hateful. 
The  holiness  of  an  intelligent  creature,  is  the  beauty  of  all  his 
natural  perfections.  And  so  it  is  in  God,  according  to  our  way 
of  conceiving  of  the  divine  Being.  Holiness  is  in  a  peculiar  man- 
ner the  beauty  of  the  divine  nature.  Hence  we  often  read  of  the 
beauty  of  holiness,  Psal.  xxix.  2,  Psal.  xcvi.  9,  and  ex.  3.  This 
I'endei's  all  his  others  attributes  glorious  and  lovely.  It  is  the 
glory  of  God's  wisdom,  that  it  is  a  holy  wisdom,  and  not  a  wicked 
subtilty  and  craftiness.  This  makes  his  majesty  lovely;  and  not 
merely  dreadful  and  horrible,  that  it  is  a  holy  majesty.  It  is  the 
glory  of  God's  immutability,  that  it  is  a  holy  immutability,  and 
not  an  inflexible  obstinacy  in  wickedness. 


k 


GRACIOUS   AFFECT! bNS.  199 

And  therefore  it  must  needs  be,  that  a  sight  of  God's  loveli- 
ness must  begin  here.  A  true  love  to  God  must  begin  with  a  de- 
light in  his  holiness,  and  not  with  a  delight  in  any  other  attribute; 
for  no  other  attribute  is  truly  lovely  without  this,  and  no  other- 
VN'ise  than  as  (according  to  our  way  of  conceiving  of  God)  it  de- 
rives its  loveliness  from  this;  and  therefore  it  is  impossible  that 
other  attributes  should  appear  lovely,  in  their  true  loveliness,  until 
this  is  seen;  and  it  is  impossible  that  any  perfection  of  the  divine 
nature  should  be  loved  with  true  love  until  this  is  loved.  If  the 
true  loveliness  of  all  God's  perfections  arise  from  the  loveliness 
of  his  holiness;  then  the  true  love  of  all  his  perfections  arises  from 
the  love  of  his  holiness.  They  that  do  not  see  the  glory  of  God's  '•-•-v 
holiness,  can  not  see  any  thing  of  the  true  glory  of  his  mercy  and 
grace:  they  see  nothing  of  the  glory  of  those  attributes,  as  any  ex- 
cellency of  God's  nature,  as  it  is  in  itself,  though  they  may  be  af-  ^A 
fected  with  them,  and  love  them,  as  they  concern  their  interest; 
for  these  attributes  are  no  part  of  the  excellency  of  God's  nature, 
as  that  is  excellent  in  itself,  any  otherwise  than  as  they  are  in- 
cluded in  his  holiness,  more  largely  taken;  or  as  they  are  a  part 
of  his  moral  perfection. 

As  the  beauty  of  the  divine  nature  does  primarily  consist  in 
God's  holiness,  so  docs  the  beauty  of  all  divine  things.  Herein 
consists  the  beauty  of  the  saints,  that  they  are  saints  or  holy  ones; 
it  is  the  moral  image  of  God  in  them,  which  is  their  beauty;  and 
that  is  their  holiness.  Herein  consist  the  beauty  and  brightness 
of  the  angels  in  heaven,  that  they  are  holy  angels,  and  so  not  de- 
vils, Dan.  iv.  13,  17,  23,  Mat.  xxv.  31,  Mark  viii.  38,  Acts  x.  ,' 
22,  Rev.  xiv.  10.  Herein  consists  the  beauty  of  the  christian  re- 
ligion; above  all  other  religions,  that  it  is  so  holy  a  religion.  Here- 
in consists  the  excellency  of  the  word  of  God,  that  it  is  so  holy, 
Psal.  cxix.  140;  "  Thy  word  is  very  pure,  therefore  thy  servant 
loveth  it;"  verse  128,  "  I  esteem  all  thy  precepts  concerning 
all  things  to  be  right;  and  I  hate  every  false  way:"  verse  138, 
*'  Thy  testimonies  that  thou  hast  commanded  are  righteous  and 
very  faithful."  And  172,  "My  tongue  shall  speak  of  thy  word; 
for  all  thy  commandments  are  righteousness :"  and   Psal.  xix. 


200  THIRD  SIGN  OF 

7 — 10,  "  The  law  of  the  Lord  is  perfect,  converting  the  soul; 
the  testimony  of  the  Lord  is  sure,  making  wise  the  simple.  The 
statutes  of  the  Lord  are  right,  rejoicing  the  heart:  the  com- 
mandment of  the  Lord  is  pure,  enlightening  the  eyes.  The 
fear  of  the  Lord  is  clean,  enduring  forever:  the  judgments  of  the 
Lord  are  true,  and  righteous  altogether;  more  to  be  desired  are  they 
than  gold,  yea,  than  much  fine  gold;  sweeter  also  than  honey  and 
the  honey  comb."  Herein  does  primarily  consist  the  amiableness 
and  beauty  of  the  Lord  Jesus,  whereby  he  is  the  chief  among  ten 
thousands,  and  altogether  lovely,  even  in  that  he  is  the  holy  one 
of  God,  Acts  iii.  14,  and  God's  holy  child.  Acts  iv.  27,  and  he 
that  is  holy,  and  he  that  is  true,  Rev.  iii.  7.  All  the  spiritual 
beauty  of  his  human  nature  consisting  in  his  meekness,  lowliness, 
patience,  heavenliness,  love  to  God,  love  to  men,  condescension 
to  the  mean  and  vile,  and  compassion  to  the  miserable,  &c.  all  is 
summed  up  in  his  holiness.  And  the  beauty  of  his  divine  nature, 
of  which  the  beauty  of  his  human  nature  is  the  image  and  reflec- 
tion, does  also  primarily  consist  in  his  holiness.  Herein  primari- 
ly consists  the  glory  of  the  gospel,  that  it  is  a  holy  gospel,  and  so 
bright  fin  emanation  of  the  holy  beauty  of  God  and  Jesus  Christ. 
Herein  consists  the  spiritual  beauty  of  its  doctrines,  that  they  are 
holy  doctrines,  or  doctrines  according  to  godliness.  And  herein 
does  consist  the  spiritual  beauty  of  the  way  of  salvation  by  Jesus 
Christ,  that  it  is  so  holy  a  way.  And  herein  chiefly  consists  the 
glory  of  heaven,  that  it  is  the  holy  city,  the  holy  Jerusalem,  the 
habitation  of  God's  holiness,  and  so  of  his  glory,  Isa.  Ixiii, 
15.  All  the  beauties  of  the  new  Jerusalem,  as  it  is  described 
in  the  two  last  chapters  of  Revelation,  are  but  various  represen- 
tations of  this.  See  chap.  xxi.  2,  10,  11,  18,  21,  27,  chap.  xxii. 

And  therefore  it  is  primarily  on  account  of  this  kind  of  ex- 
cellency, that  the  saints  do  love  all  these  things.  Thus  they  love 
the  word  of  God,  because  it  is  very  pure.  It  is  on  this  account 
they  love  the  saints;  and  on  this  account  chiefly  it  is,  that  heaven 
is  lovely  to  them,  and  those  holy  tabernacles  of  God  amiable  in 
their  eyes.   It  is  on  this  account  that  they  love  God;  and  on  this 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  201 

account  primarily  it  is,  that  they  love  Christ,  and  that  their  hearts 
delight  in  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  and  sweetly  acquiesce  in 
the  way  of  salvation  therein  revealed. f 

Under  the  head  of  the  first  distinguishing  characteristic  of  gra- 
cious affection,  I  observed,  that  there  Is  given  to  those  that  are  re- 
generated, a  new  supernatural. sfinse,  that  is  as  it  were  a  certain  di- 
vine spiritual  taste,  which  is,  in  its  whole  nature,  diverse  from 
any  former  kinds  of  sensation  of  the  mind,  as  tasting  is  diverse 
from  any  of  the  other  five  senses,  and  that  something  Is  perceived 
by  a  true  saint  in  the  exercise  of  this  new  sense  of  mind,  in  spi- 
ritual and  divine  things,  as  entirely  different  from  any  thing  that 
is  perceived  in  them  by  natural  men,  as  the  sweet  taste  of  honey 
is  diverse  from  the  ideas  men  get  of  honey  by  looking  on  it  or 
feeling  it.  Now  this  that  I  have  been  speaking,  viz.  the  beauty 
of  holiness,  is  that  thing  in  spiritual  and  divine  things,  which  Is 
perceived  by  this  spiritual  sense,  that  Is  so  diverse  from  all  that 
natural  men  perceive  in  them;  this  kind  of  beauty  is  the  quality 
that  is  the  immediate  object  of  this  spiritual  sense;  this  is  the 
sweetness  that  is  the  proper  object  of  this  spiritual  taste.  The 
scripture  often  represents  the  beauty  and  sweetness  of  holiness  as 
the  grand  object  of  a  spiritual  taste  and  spiritual  appetite.  This 
was  the  sweet  food  of  the  holy  soul  of  Jesus  Christ,  John  iv. 
32,  34.  "  I  have  meat  to  eat  that  ye  know  not  of.  My  meat  is 
to  do  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me,  and  to  finish  his  work."  I 
know  of  no  part  of  the  holy  scriptures,  where  the  nature  and  evi- 

f  "  To  the  right  closing  with  Clirist's  person,  this  is  also  required,  to  state 
the  bitterness  of  sin,  as  the  greatest  evil:  else  a  mnn  will  never  close  with 
Christ,  for  his  hohness  in  him,  and  from  him,  as  the  greatest  good.  For 
we  told  you,  that  that  is  the  right  closing  with  Christ  for  himself,  when  it  is 
for  his  holiness.  For  ask  a  whorish  heart,  what  beauty  he  sees  in  the  per- 
son of  Christ;  he  will,  after  he  has  looked  over  his  kingdom,  his  righteous- 
ness, and  all  his  works,  see  a  beauty  in  them,  because  they  do  serve  his 
turn,  to  comfort  him  only.  Ask  a  virgin  heart,  he  will  see  his  happiness  in  all; 
but  that  which  makes  the  Lord  amiable  is  his  holiness,  which  is  in  him  to 
make  him  holy  too.  As  in  marriage,  it  is  the  personal  beauty  draws  the 
heart.  And  hence  I  have  thought  it  reason,  that  he  that  loves  the  bre- 
thren for  a  little  grace,  will  love  Christ  much  more.  Shepard's  Parable, 
Part  I,  p.  84. 


\  I 


302  THIRD  SIGN  OP 


dences  of  true  and  sincere  godliness  are  so  much  of  set  pur- 
pose and  so  fully  and  largely  insisted  on  and  delineated,  as  the 
i  119th  Psalm;  the  psalmist  declares  his  design  in  the  first  verses 
of  the  Psalm,  and  he  keeps  his  eye  on  this  design  all  along,  and 
pursues  it  to  the  end.  But  in  this  Psalm  the  excellency  of  holi- 
ness is  represented  as  the  immediate  object  of  a  spiritual  taste, 

.  relish,  appetite,  and  delight  of  God's  law,  that  grand  expression 
and  emanation  of  the  holiness  of  God's  nature,  and  prescription 
of  holiness  to  the  creature,  is  ^11  along  represented  as  the  food 
and  entertainment,  and  as  the  great  object  of  the  love,  the  appe- 
tite, the  complacence  and  rejoicing  of  the  gracious  nature,  which 
prizes  God's  commandments  above  gold,  yea,  the  finest  gold,  and 
to  which  they  are  sweeter  than  the  honey  and  honey  comb;  and 
that  upon  account  of  their  holiness,  as  I  observed  before.  The  same 
psalmist  declares,  that  this  is  the  sweetness  that  a  spiritual  taste 
relishes  in  God's  law,  Psal.  xix.  7,  8,  9,  10.  "  The  law  of  the 
Lord  is  perfect:  the  commandment  of  the  Lord  is  pure:  the  fear 
of  the  Lord  is  clean:  the  statutes  of  the  Lord  are  right,  rejoicing 
the  heart:  the  judgments  of  the  Lord  are  true,  and  righteous  al- 
together; more  to  be  desired  are  they  than  gold,  yea,  than  much 
fine  gold;  sweeter  also  than  honey,  and  the  honey  comb." 

A  holy  love  has  a  holy  object.     The  holiness  of  love  consists 
especially  in  this,  that  it  is  the  love  of  that  which  is  holy,  as  holy, 

-  or  for  its  holiness,  so  that  it  is  the  holiness  of  the  object,  which 
is  the  quality  whereon  it  fixes  and  terminates.  An  holy  nature 
must  needs  love  that  in  holy  things  chiefly  which  is  most  agree- 
able to  itself;  but  surely  that  in  divine  things,  which  above  all 
others  is  agreeable  to  a  holy  nature  is  holiness,  because  holiness 
must  be  above  all  other  things  agreeable  to  holiness;  for  nothing 
can  be  more  agreeable  to  any  nature  than  itself;  holy  nature  must 
be  above  all  things  agreeable  to  holy  nature:  and  so  the  holy  na- 
ture of  God  and  Christ,  and  the  word  of  God,  and  other  divine 
things,  must  be  above  all  other  things  agreeable  to  the  holy  na- 
ture that  is  in  the  saints. 

And  again,  a  holy  nature  doubtless  loves  holy  things,  especi- 
ally on  the  account  of  that  for  which  sinful  nature  has  enmity 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  203 

against  them:  but  that  for  which  chiefly  sinful  nature  is  at  enmity 
against  holy  things  is  their  holiness;  it  is  for  this  that  the  carnal 
mind  is  at  enmity  against  God,  and  against  the  law  of  God,  and 
the  people  of  God.  Now  it  is  just  arguing  from  contraries,  from 
contrary  causes  to  contrary  effects;  from  opposite  natures  to  oppo- 
site tendencies.  We  know  that  holiness  is  of  a  directly  contrary 
nature  to  wickedness;  as,  therefore,  it  is  the  nature  of  wickedness 
chiefly  to  oppose  and  hate  holiness,  so  it  must  be  the  nature  of 
holiness  chiefly  to  tend  to  and  delight  in  holiness. 

The  holy  nature  in  the  saints  and  angels  in  heaven  (where  the 
true  tendency  of  it  best  appears)  is  principally  engaged  by  the 
holiness  of  divine  things.  This  is  the  divine  beauty  which  chief- 
ly'engages  the  attention,  admiration,  and  praise  of  the  bright  and 
burning  seraphim;  Isa.  vi.  3,  "  One  cried  unto  another,  and 
said.  Holy,  Holy,  Holy  is  the  Lord  of  hosts,  the  whole  earth  is 
full  of  his  glory."  And  Rev.  iv.  8;  "  They  rest  not  day  and 
night,  saying.  Holy,  Holy,  Holy,  Lord  God  Almighty,  which  was, 
and  is,  and  is  to  come."  So  the  glorified  saints,  chap.  xv.  4; 
"  Who  shall  not  fear  thee,  O  Lord,  and  glorify  thy  name?  For 
thou  only  art  holy." 

And  the  scriptures  represent  the  saints  on  earth  as  adoring  God 
primarily  on  this  account,  and  admiring  and  extolling  all  God's 
attributes,  either  as  deriving  loveliness  from  his  holiness  or  as  be- 
ing a  part  of  it.  Thus  when  they  praise  God  for  his  power,  his 
holiness  is  the  beauty  that  engages  them.  Psal.  xcviii.  1,  "0 
sing  unto  the  Lord  a  new  song,  for  he  hath  done  marvellous  things: 
his  right  hand,  and  his  holy  arm  hath  gotten  him  the  victory." 
So  when  they  praise  him  for  his  justice  and  terrible  majesty, 
Psal.  xcix.  2,  3,  "  The  Lord  is  great  in  Zion,  and  he  is  high 
above  all  people.  Let  them  praise  thy  great  and  terrible  name; 
for  it  is  holy:"  ver.  5,  "  Exalt  ye  the  Lord  our  God,  and  worship 
at  his  footstool;  for  he  is  holy:"  ver.  8,  9,  "  Thou  wast  a  God 
that  forgavest  them,  though  thou  tookest  vengeance  of  their  inven- 
tions. Exalt  ye  the  Lord  our  God,  and  worship  at  his  holy  hill; 
for  the  Lord  our  God  is  holy."  So  when  they  praise  God  for 
his  mercy  and  faithfulness^  Psal.  ?i;cvii.  11,  12,  "  Light  is  sown 


204  THIRD  SIGN  OF 

for  the  righteous,  and  gladness  for  the  upright  in  heart.  Rejoice 
in  the  Lord  ye  righteous,  and  give  thanks  at  the  remembrance  of 
his  hohness,"  1  Sam.  ii.  2,  "  There  is  none  holy  as  the  Lord; 
for  there  is  none  besides  thee;  neither  is  there  any  rock  like  our 
God." 

By  this,  therefore,  all  may  try  their  affections,  and  particularly 
their  love  and  joy.  Various  kinds  of  creatures  show  the  differ- 
ence of  their  natures,  very  much  in  the  different  things  they  re- 
lish as  their  proper  good,  one  delighting  in  that  which  another 
abhors.  Such  a  difference  is  there  between  true  saints  and  na- 
tural men:  natural  men  have  no  sense  of  the  goodness  and  excel- 
lency of  holy  things,  at  least  for  their  holiness;  they  have  no  taste 
for  that  kind  of  good;  and  so  may  be  said  not  to  know  that  divine 
good,  or  not  to  see  it;  it  is  wholly  hid  from  them;  but  the  saints, 
by  the  mighty  power  of  God,  have  it  discovered  to  them;  they 
have  that  supernatural,  most  noble  and  divine  sense  given  them, 
by  which  they  perceive  it;  and  it  is  this  that  captivates  their 
hearts  and  delights  them  above  all  things;  it  is  the  most  amiable 
and  sweet  thing  to  the  heart  of  a  true  saint  that  is  to  be  found  in 
heaven  or  earth;  that  which  above  all  others  attracts  and  engages 
his  soul,  and  that  wherein,  above  all  things,  he  places  his  happi- 
ness, and  which  he  lots  upon  for  solace  and  entertainment  to  his 
mind  in  this  world,  and  full  satisfaction  and  blessedness  in  another. 
By  this  you  may  examine  your  love  to  God,  and  to  Jesus  Christ, 
and  to  the  word  of  God,  and  your  joy  in  them,  and  also  your  love 
to  the  people  of  God,  and  your  desires  after  heaven;  whether  they 
be  from  a  supreme  delight  in  this  sort  of  beauty,  without  being 
primarily  moved  from  your  imagined  interest  in  them  or  expecta- 
tions from  them.  There  are  many  high  affections,  great  seeming 
love  and  rapturous  joys  which  have  nothing  of  this  holy  relish  be- 
longing to  them. 

Particularly  by  what  has  been  said  you  may  try  your  disco- 
veries of  the  glory  of  God's  grace  and  love  and  your  affections 
arising  from  them.  The  grace  of  God  may  appear  lovely  two 
ways,  either  as  bonum  utile^  a  profitable  good  to  me,  that  which 
greatly  serves  my  interest,  and  so  suits  my  self-love,  or  as  bonutn 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  205 

formosum^  a  beautiful  good  in  itself,  and  part  of  the  moral  and 
spiritual  excellency  of  the  divine  nature.  In  this  latter  respect 
it  is  that  the  true  saints  have  their  hearts  affected,  and  love  cap- 
tivated by  the  free  grace  of  God  in  the  first  place. 

From  the  things  that  have  been  said  it  appears  that  if  persons 
have  a  great  sense  of  the  natural  perfections  of  God,  and  are  great- 
ly affected  with  them,  or  have  any  other  sight  or  sense  of  God 
than  that  which  consists  in,  or  implies  a  sense  of  the  beauty  of  his 
moral  perfections,  it  is  no  certain  sign  of  grace;  as  particularly 
mens  having  a  great  sense  of  the  awful  greatness  and  terrible 
majesty  of  God;  for  this  is  only  God's  natural  perfection,  and 
what  men  may  see  and  yet  be  entirely  blind  to  the  beauty  of  his 
moral  perfection,  and  have  nothing  of  that  spiritual  taste  which 
relishes  this  divine  sweetness. 

It  has  been  shown  already  in  what  was  said  upon  the  first  dis- 
tinguishing mark  of  gracious  affections,  that  that  which  is  spiritual 
is  entirely  different  in  its  nature  from  all  that  it  is  possible  any 
graceless  person  should  be  the  subject  of  while  he  continues  grace- 
less. But  it  is  possible  that  those  who  are  wholly  without  grace 
should  have  a  clear  sight  and  very  great  and  affecting  sense  of 
God's  greatness,  his  mighty  power,  and  awful  majesty;  for  this 
is  what  the  devils  have,  though  they  have  lost  the  spiritual  know- 
ledge of  God,  consisting  in  a  sense  of  the  amiableness  of  his  mo- 
ral perfections;  they  are  perfectly  destitute  of  any  sense  or  relish 
of  that  kind  of  beauty,  yet  they  have  a  very  great  knowledge  of 
the  natural  glory  of  God  (if  I  may  so  speak)  or  his  awful  great- 
ness and  majesty;  this  they  behold  and  are  affected  with  the  ap- 
prehensions of,  and  therefore  tremble  before  him.  This  glory  of 
God  all  shall  behold  at  the  day  of  judgment;  God  will  make  all 
rational  beings  to  behold  it  to  a  great  degree  indeed,  angels  and 
devils,  saints  and  sinners:  Christ  will  manifest  his  infinite  great- 
ness and  awful  majesty  to  every  one,  in  a  most  open,  clear,  and 
convincing  manner,  and  in  a  light  that  none  can  resist,  "  when  he 
shall  come  in  the  glory  of  his  Father,  and  every  eye  shall  see 
him;"  when  they  shall  cry  to  the  mountains  to  fall  upon  them,  to 

hide  them  from  the  face  of  him  that  sits  upon  the  throne,  they  are 
2  c 


206  THIRD  SIGN  OF 

represented  as  seeing  the  glory  of  God's  majesty,  Isa.  ii.  10, 19,21. 
God  will  make  all  his  enemies  to  behold  this,  and  to  live  in  a 
most  clear  and  affecting  view  of  it,  in  hell,  to  all  eternity.     God 
hath  often  declared  his  immutable  purpose  to  make  all  his  ene- 
mies to  know  him  in  this  resi>ect,  in  so  often  annexing  these  words 
to  the  threatenings  he  denounces  against  them:  "And  they  shall 
know  that  I  am  the  Lord."  Yea,  he  hath  sworn  that  all  men  shall 
see  his  glory  in  this  respect,  Numb.  xiv.  31.    "As  truly  as  Hive, 
all  the  earth  shall  be  filled  with  the  glory  of  the  Lord."  And  this 
kind  of  manifestation  of  God  is  very  often  spoken  of  in  scripture, 
as  made,  or  to  be  made,  in  the  sight  of  God's  enemies  in  this 
world;  Exod.  ix.  16,  and  chap,  xiv.  18,  andxv.  16,  Psal.  Ixvi.  3,  and 
xlvi.  10,  and  other  places  innumerable.  This  was  a  manifestation 
which  God  made  of  himself  in  the  sight  of  that  wicked  congre- 
gation at  mount  Sinai;  deeply  affecting  them  with  it,  so  that  all 
the  people  in  the  camp  trembled.     Wicked  men  and  devils  will 
see,  and  have  a  great  sense  of  every  thing  that  appertains  to  the 
glory  of  God,  but  only  the  beauty  of  his  moral  perfection;  they 
will  see  his  infinite  greatness  and  majesty,  his  infinite  power,  and 
will  be  fully  convinced  of  his  omniscience,  and  his  eternity  and 
immutability;  and  they  will  see  and  know  every  thing  appertain- 
ing to  his  moral  attributes  themselves,  but  only  the  beauty  and 
amiableness  of  them;  they  will  see  and  know  that  he  is  perfectly 
justj  and  righteous,  and  true,  and  that  be  is  a  holy  God,  of  purer 
eyes  than  to  behold  evil,  who  can  not  look  on  iniquity;  and  they 
will  see  the  wonderful  manifestations  of  his  infinite  goodness  and 
free  grace  to  the  saints;  and  there  is  nothing  will  be  hid  from 
their  eyes,  but  only  the  beauty  of  these  moral  attributes,  and 
that  beauty  of  the  other  attributes  which  arises  from  it.     And  so 
natural  men  in  this  world  are  capable  of  having  a  very  affect- 
ing sense  of  every  thing  else  that  appertains  to  God,  but  this 
only.     Nebuchadnezzar  had  a  great  and  very  affecting  sense 
of  the  infinite  greatness  and  awful  majesty  of  God,  of  his  su- 
preme and  absolute  dominion,  and  mighty  and  irresistible  power, 
and  of  his  sovereignty,  and  that  he  and  all  the  inhabitants  of 
the  earth  were  nothing  before  him;  and  also  had  a  great  convic- 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  201 

tion  in  his  conscience  of  his  justice,  ami  an  affecting  sense  of  his 
great  goodness,  Dan.  iv.  1,  2,  3,  34,  35,  37.  And  the  sense 
that  Darius  had  of  God's  perfections,  seems  to  be  very  much 
like  his,  Dan.  vi.  25,  &c.  But  the  paints  and  angels  do  behold 
the  glory  of  God  consisting  in  the  beauty  of  his  holiness;  and  it  is 
this  sight  only  that  will  melt  and  humble  the  hearts  of  men,  and 
wean  them  from  the  world,  and  draw  them  to  God,  and  effectu- 
ally change  them.  A  sight  of  the  awful  greatness  of  God,  may 
overpower  mens  strength,  and  be  more  than  they  can  endure;  but 
if  the  moral  beauty  of  God  be  hid,  tlie  enmity  of  the  heart  will 
remain  in  its  full  strength,  no  love  will  be  enkindled,  all  will  not 
be  effectual  to  gain  the  will,  but  that  will  remain  inflexible; 
whereas  the  first  glimpse  of  the  moral  and  spiritual  glory  of  God 
shining  into  the  heart,  produces  all  these  effects,  as  it  were,  with 
omnipotent  power,  which  nothing  can  withstand. 

The  sense  that  natural  men  may  have  of  the  awful  greatness  of 
God,  may  affect  them  various  ways;  it  may  not  only  terrify  them, 
but  it  may  elevate  them,  and  raise  their  joy  and  praise,  as  their 
circumstances  may  be.  This  will  be  the  natural  effect  of  it,  un- 
der the  real  or  supposed  receipt  of  some  extraordinary  mercy 
from  God,  by  the  influence  of  mere  principles  of  nature.  It  has 
been  shown  already  tliat  the  receipt  of  kindness  may,  by  the  in- 
fluence of  natural  principles,  affect  the  heart  with  gratitude  and 
praise  to  God;  but  if  a  person,  at  the  same  time  that  he  receives 
remarkable  kindness  from  God,  has  a  sense  of  his  infinite  greatness, 
and  that  he  is  but  nothing  in  comparison  of  him,  surely  this  will 
naturally  raise  his  gratitude  and  praise  the  higher,  for  kindness  to 
one  so  much  inferior.  A  sense  of  God's  greatness  had  this  effect 
upon  Nebuchadnezzar,  under  the  receipt  of  that  extraordinary  fa- 
vour of  restoration,  after  he  had  been  driven  from  men,  and  had 
his  dwelling  with  the  beasts:  a  sense  of  God's  exceeding  great- 
ness raises  his  gi-atitude  very  high;  so  that  he  does,  in  the  most 
lofty  terms,  extol  and  magnify  God,  and  call  upon  all  the  world 
to  do  it  with  him;  and  much  more  if  a  natural  man,  at  the  same 
time  that  he  is  greatly  affected  with  God's  infinite  greatness  and 
majesty,  entertaining  a  strong  conceit  tliat  this  great  God  has  made 


308  FOURTH  SIGN  OF 

him  his  child  and  special  favourite,  and  promised  him  eternal 
glory  in  his  highest  love,  will  not  this  have  a  tendency,  accord- 
ing to  the  course  of  nature,  to  raise  his  joy  and  praise  to  a  great 
height. 

Therefore,  it  is  heyond  douht  that  too  much  w^eight  has  been 
Jlaid,  by  many  persons  of  late,  on  discoveries  of  God's  greatness, 
,  'awful  majesty,  and  natural  perfection,  operating  after  this  man- 
ner, without  any  real  view  of  the  holy  majesty  of  God,  And  ex- 
perience does  abundantly  witness  to  what  reason  and  scripture 
declare  as  to  this  matter;  there  having  been  very  many  persons 
who  have  seemed  to  be  overpowered  with  the  greatness  and  ma- 
jesty of  God,  and  consequently  elevated  in  the  manner  that  has 
been  spoken  of,  who  have  been  very  far  from  having  appearances 
of  a  christian  spirit  and  temper,  in  any  manner  of  proportion,  or 
fruits  in  practice  in  any  wise  agreeable;  but  their  discoveries  have 
worked  in  a  way  contrary  to  the  operation  of  truly  spiritual  dis- 
coveries. 

Not  that  a  sense  of  God's  greatness  and  natural  attributes  is 
not  exceeding  useful  and  necessary.  For,  as  I  observed  before, 
this  is  implied  in  a  manifestation  of  the  beauty  of  God's  holiness. 
Though  that  be  something  beyond  it,  it  supposes  it,  as  the  greater 
supposes  the  less.  And  though  natural  men  may  have  a  sense  of 
the  natural  perfections  of  God;  yet  undoubtedly  this  is  more  fre- 
quent and  common  with  the  saints  than  with  natural  men;  and 
grace  tends  to  enable  men  to  see  these  things  in  a  better  manner 
than  natural  men  do;  and  not  only  enables  them  to  see  God's  na- 
tural attributes,  but  that  beauty  of  those  attributes,  which,  accord- 
ing to  our  way  of  conceiving  of  God,  is  derived  from  his  holiness. 

IV.  Gracious  affections  do  arise  from  the  mind's  being  enlight- 
ened,  richly  and  spiritually  to  understand  or  apprehend  divine  things. 

Holy  affections  are  not  heat  without  light;  but  evermore  arise 
from  the  information  of  the  understanding,  some  spiritual  instruc- 
tion that  the  mind  receives,  some  light  or  actual  knowledge.  The 
child  of  God  is  graciously  affected,  because  he  sees  and  under- 
stands something  more  of  divine  things  than  he  did  before,  more 
of  God  or  Christ,  and  of  the  glorious  things  exhibited  in  the  gos- 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  209 

jjel;  he  has  some  clearer  and  better  view  than  he  had  before, 
when  he  was  not  affected:  either  he  receives  some  understanding 
of  divine  things  that  is  new  to  him,  or  has  his  former  knowledge 
renewed  after  the  view  was  decayed,  1  John  iv.  7,  "  Every  one 
that  loveth,  knoweth  God:"  Phil.  i.  9,  "  I  pray  that  your  love 
may  abound  more  and  more  in  knowledge  and  in  all  judgment:" 
Rom.  X.  2,  "  They  have  a  zeal  of  God,  but  not  according  to 
knowledge:"  Col.  iii.  10,  "  The  new  man  which  is  renewed  in 
knowledge:"  Psal.  xliii.  3,  4,  "  0  send  out  thy  light  and  thy 
truth;  let  them  lead  me,  let  them  bring  me  unto  thy  holy 
hill:"  John  vi.  45,  "  It  is  written  in  the  prophets,  and  they 
shall  be  all  taught  of  God.  Every  man  therefore  that  hath  heard, 
and  hath  learned  of  the  Father,  cometh  unto  me."  Knowledge 
is  the  key  that  first  opens  the  hard  heart,  and  enlarges  the  affec- 
tions, and  so  opens  the  way  for  men  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven: 
Luke  xi.  52,  "  Ye  have  taken  a\vay  the  key  of  knowledge." 

Now  there  are  many  affections  which  do  not  arise  from  any 
light  in  the  understanding.  And  when  it  is  thus,  it  is  a  sure  evi- 
dence that  these  affections  are  not  spiritual,  let  them  be  ever  so 
high.f     Indeed  they  have  some  new  apprehensions  which  they 

■j-  "  Many  that  have  had  mighty  strong  affections  at  first  conversion,  after- 
wards became  dry,  and  wither,  and  consume,  and  pine,  and  die  away;  and 
now  their  hypocrisy  is  manifest;  if  not  to  all  the  world  by  open  profanencss, 
yet  to  the  discerning  eye  of  living  Christians,  by  a  formal,  barren,  unsa- 
voury, unfruitful  heart  and  course;  because  they  never  had  light  to  convic- 
tion enough  as  yet. 

"  It  is  strange  to  see  some  people  carried  with  mighty  affection  against 
sin  and  hell,  and  after  Christ.  And  what  is  the  hell  you  fear?  A  dreadful 
place.  What  is  Christ,  they  scarce  know  so  much  as  devils  do:  but  that  is 
all.  O  trust  them  not!  Many  have:  and  these  will  fall  away  to  some  lust,  or 
opinion,  or  pride,  or  world;  and  the  reason  is,  they  never  had  light  enough: 
.John  was  a  burning  and  shining  hght,  and  they  did  joy  in  him  for  a  season; 
yet  glorious  as  it  was,  they  saw  not  Christ  by  it,  especially  not  with  divine 
light.  It  is  rare  to  see  Christians  full  both  of  light  and  affection.  And  there- 
fore consider  of  this;  many  a  man  has  been  well  brought  up,  and  is  of 
a  sweet  loving  nature,  mild  and  gentle,  and  harmless,  likes  and  loves  the 
best  things,  and  his  meaning,  and  mind,  and  heart  is  good,  and  has  more  in 
heart  than  in  show;  and  so  hopes  all  shall  go  well  with  him.  I  say  there  may 
lie  greatest  hypocrisy  under  greatest  affections;  especially  if  they  want  light 


210  FOURTH   SIGN  OF 

had  not  before.  Such  Is  the  nature  of  inan  that  it  is  impossible 
his  mind  should  be  affected,  unless  it  be  by  something  that  he  ap- 
prehends, or  that  his  mind  conceives  of.  But  in  many  per- 
sons those  apprehensions  or  conceptions  that  they  have,  vvhere- 
ivith  they  are  affected,  have  nothing  of  the  nature  of  knowledge 
or  instruction  in  them.  As,  for  instance,  when  a  person  is  affect- 
ed with  a  lively  idea,  suddenly  excited  in  his  mind,  of  some  shape 
or  very  beautiful  form  of  countenance,  or  some  shining  light,  or 
other  glorious  outward  appearance:  here  is  something  apprehend- 
ed or  conceived  by  the  mind;  but  there  is  nothing  of  the  nature 
of  instruction  in  it;  persons  become  never  the  wiser  by  such  things, 
or  more  knowing  about  God,  or  a  Mediator  between  God  and 
man,  or  the  way  of  salvation  by  Christ,  or  any  thing  contained  in 
any  of  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel..  Persons  by  these  external 
ideas  have  no  further  acquaintance  with  God,  as  to  any  of  the  at- 
tributes or  perfections  of  his  nature;  nor  have  they  any  further  un- 
derstanding of  his  word,  or  any  of  his  ways  or  works.  Truly  spi- 
ritual and  gracious  affections  are  not  raised  after  this  manner; 
these  arise  from  the  enlightening  of  the  understanding  to  understand 
the  things  that  are  taught  of  God  and  Christ  in  a  new  manner, 
the  coming  to  a  new  understanding  of  the  excellent  nature  of  God, 
and  his  wonderful  perfections,  some  new  view  of  Christ  in  his 
spiritual  excellencies  and  fulness,  or  things  opened  to  him  in  a 
new  manner,  that  appertain  to  the  way  of  salvation  by  Christ, 
whereby  he  now  sees  how  it  is,  and  understands  those  divine  and 
spiritual  doctrines  which  once  jvere  foolishness  to  him.  Such 
enlightenings  of  the  understanding  as  these,  are  things  entirely 
different  in  their  nature  from  strong  ideas  of  shapes  and  colours 
and  outward  brightness  and  glory,  or  sounds  and  voices.  That 
all  gracious  affections  do  arise  from  some  instruction  or  enlight- 
ening of  the  understanding,  is  therefore  a  further  proof,  that  af- 

You  shall  be  hai-dened  in  your  hypocrisy  by  them.  I  never  liked  violent 
affections  and  pangs,  but  only  such  as  were  dropped  in  by  light;  because 
those  come  from  an  external  principle,  and  last  not,  but  these  do.  Men  are 
not  affrighted  by  the  hght  of  the  sun,  though  clearer  than  the  lightning." 
Shepard's  Parable,  Part  I.  p.  146. 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS,  211 

fections  which  arise  from  such  impression  on  the  imagination,  are 
not  gracious  affections,  besides  the  things  observed  before,  which 
make  this  evident. 

Hence  also  it  appears,  that  affections  arising  from  texts  of  scrip- 
ture coming  to  the  mind  are  vain,  when  no  instruction  received 
in  the  understanding  from  those  texts,  or  any  thing  taught  in  those 
texts,  is  the  ground  of  the  affection,  but  the  manner  of  their  com- 
ing to  the  mind.  When  Christ  makes  the  scripture  a  means  of 
the  heart's  burning  with  gracious  affection,  it  is  "  by  opening  the 
scriptures  to  their  understandings,"  Luke  xxiv.  32,  "  Did  not  our 
heart  burn  within  us,  while  he  talked  with  us  by  the  way,  and 
while  he  opened  to  us  the  scriptures?"  It  appears  also  that  the 
affection  which  is  occasioned  by  the  coming  of  a  text  of  scripture 
must  be  vain,  when  the  affection  is  founded  on  something  that  is 
supposed  to  be  taught  by  it,  which  really  is  not  contained  in  it, 
nor  in  any  other  scripture;  because  such  supposed  instruction  is 
not  real  instruction,  but  a  mistake  and  misapprehension  of  the 
mind.  As  for  instance,  when  persons  suppose  that  they  are  ex-. 
pressly  taught  by  some  scripture  coming  to  their  minds,  that  they 
in  particular  are  beloved  of  God,  or  that  their  sins  are  forgiven, 
that  God  is  their  Father,  and  the  like,  this  is  a  mistake  or  misap- 
prehension; for  the  scripture  no  where  reveals  the  individual  per- 
sons who  are  beloved,  expressly;  but  only  by  consequence,  by 
revealing  the  qualifications  of  persons  that  are  beloved  of  God: 
and  therefore  this  matter  is  not  to  be  learned  from  scripture  any 
other  way  than  by  consequence,  and  froni  these  quahfications;  for 
things  are  not  to  be  learned  from  the  scripture  any  other  way  than 
they  are  taught  in  the  scripture. 

Affections  really  arise  from  ignorance  rather  than  instruction, 
in  these  instances  which  have  been  mentioned;  as  likewise  in 
some  others  that  might  be  mentioned.  As  some,  when  they  find 
themselves  free  of  speech  in  prayer,  they  call  it  God's  being  with 
them;  and  this  affects  them  more;  and  so  their  affections  are  set 
a  going  and  increased;  when  they  look  not  into  the  cause  of  this 
freedom  of  speech,  which  may  arise  many  other  ways  besides 
God's  spiritual  presence.     So  some  are  much  affected  with  some 


212  FOURTH  SIGN  OF 

apt  thoughts  that  come  into  their  minds  about  the  scripture,  and 
call  it  the  Spirit  of  God  teaching  them.  So  they  ascribe  many  of 
the  workings  of  their  own  minds,  which  they  have  a  high  opinion 
of,  and  are  pleased  and  taken  with,  to  the  special  immediate  in- 
fluences of  God's  Spirit;  and  so  are  mightily  affected  with  their 
privilege.  And  there  are  some  instances  of  persons  in  whom  it 
seems  manifest  that  the  first  ground  of  their  affection  is  some 
bodily  sensation.  The  animal  spirits,  by  some  cause  (and  proba- 
bly sometimes  by  the  devil)  are  suddenly  and  unaccountably  put 
into  a  very  agreeable  motion,  causing  persons  to  feel  pleasantly  in 
their  bodies;  the  animal  spirits  are  put  into  such  a  motion  as  is 
wont  to  be  connected  with  the  exhilaration  of  the  mind;  and  the 
soul,  by  the  laws  of  the  union  of  soul  and  body,  hence  feels  plea- 
sure. The  motion  of  the  animal  spirits  does  not  first  arise  from 
any  affection  or  apprehension  of  the  mind  whatsoever;  but  the 
very  first  thing  that  is  felt  is  an  exhilaration  of  the  animal  spirits, 
and  a  pleasant  external  sensation  it  may  be  in  their  breasts. — 
Hence  through  ignorance,  the  person  being  surprised,  begins  to 
think,  surely  this  is  the  Holy  Ghost  coming  into  him.  And  then 
the  mind  begins  to  be  affected  and  raised.  There  is  first  great  joy ; 
and  then  many  other  affections,  in  a  very  tumultuous  manner, 
putting  all  nature,  both  body  and  mind,  into  a  mighty  ruffle.  For 
though,  as  I  observed  before,  it  is  the  soul  only  that  is  the  seat  of 
the  affections;  yet  this  hinders  not  but  that  bodily  sensations  may, 
in  this  manner,  be  an  occasion  of  affections  in  the  mind. 

And  if  mens  religious  affections  do  truly  arise  from  some  in- 
struction or  light  in  the  understanding;  yet  the  affection  is  not 
gracious,  unless  the  light  which  is  the  ground  of  it  be  spiritual. 
Affections  may  be  excited  by  that  understanding  of  things  which 
they  obtain  merely  by  human  teaching,  with  the  common  improve- 
ment of  the  faculties  of  the  mind.  Men  may  be  much  affected 
by  knowledge  of  things  of  religion  that  they  obtain  this  way;  as 
some  philosophers  have  been  mightily  affected,  and  almost  carried 
beyond  themselves,  by  the  discoveries  they  have  made  in  mathe- 
matics and  natural  philosophy.  So  men  may  be  much  affected 
from  corngjon  illuminations  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  in  which  God 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  213 

assists  mens  faculties  to  a  greater  degree  of  that  kind  of  under- 
standing of  religious  matters,  which  they  have  in  some  degree,  by 
only  the  ordinary  exercise  and  improvement  of  their  own  facul- 
ties. Such  illuminations  may  much  affect  the  mind;  as  in  many 
whom  we  read  of  in  scripture,  that  were  once  enlightened;  but 
these  affections  are  not  spiritual. 

There  is  such  a  thing,  if  the  scriptures  are  of  any  use  to  teach 
us  any  thing,  as  a  spiritual,  supernatural  understanding  of  divine 
things,  that  is  peculiar  to  the  saints,  and  which  those  who  are  not 
saints  have  nothing  of.  It  is  certainly  a  kind  of  understanding, 
apprehending  or  discerning  of  divine  things,  that  natural  men  have 
nothing  of,  which  the  apostle  speaks  of,  1  Cor.  ii.  14,  "  But  the 
natural  mat.  receiveth  not  the  things  of  the  Spirit  of  God;  for  they 
are  foolishness  unto  him;  neither  can  he  know  them,  because  they 
are  spiritually  discerned."  It  is  certainly  a  kind  of  seeing  or  dis- 
cerning spiritual  things  peculiar  to  the  saints,  which  is  spoken  of, 
1  John  iii.  6,  "  Whosoever  sinneth,  hath  not  seen  him,  neither 
known  him."  3  John  11,  "He  that  doth  evil,  hath  not  seen 
God."  And  John  vi.  40,  "  This  is  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me, 
that  every  one  that  seeth  the  Son,  and  believeth  on  him,  may  have 
everlasting  life."  Chap.  xiv.  19,  "  The  world  seeth  me  no  more; 
but  ye  see  me."  Chap.  xvii.  3,  "  This  is  eternal  life,  that  they 
might  know  thee,  the  only  true  God,  and  Jesus  Christ  whom  thou 
hast  sent."  Matt.  xi.  27,  "  No  man  knoweth  the  Son,  but  the 
Father;  neither  knoweth  any  man  the  Father,  but  the  Son,  and 
he  to  whomsoever  the  Son  will  reveal  him."  John  xii.  45,  "  He 
that  seeth  me,  seeth  him  that  sent  me."  Psal.  ix.  10,  "  They 
that  know  thy  name,  will  put  their  trust  in  thee."  Phil.  iii.  8, 
"  I  count  all  things  but  loss,  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge 
of  Christ  Jesus  my  Lord:"  ver.  10,  "That  I  may  know  him." 
And  innumerable  other  places  there  are,  all  over  the  Bible,  which 
show  the  same.  And  that  there  is  such  a  thing  as  an  understand- 
ing of  divine  things,  which  in  its  nature  and  kind  is  wholly  differ- 
ent from  all  knowledge  that  natural  men  have,  is  evident  from 
this,  that  there  is  an  understanding  of  divine  things,  which  the 

scripture  calls  spiritual  understanding;  Col.  i.  9,  "  We  do  not 
2d 


214:  FOURTH  SIGN  OF 

cease  to  pray  for  you,  and  to  desire  that  you  may  be  tilled  with 
the  knowledge  of  his  will,  in  all  wisdom  and  spiritual  understand- 
ing." It  has  been  already  shown  that  that  which  is  spiritual,  in 
the  ordinary  use  of  the  word  in  the  New  Testament,  is  entirely 
different  in  nature  and  kind,  from  all  which  natural  men  are  or 
can  be  the  subjects  of. 

From  hence  it  may  be  surely  inferred  wherein  spiritual  under- 
standing consists.     For  if  there  be  in  the  saints  a  kind  of  appre- 
hension or  perception,  which  is  in  its  nature  perfectly  diverse  from 
all  that  natural  men  have,  or  that  it  is  possible  they  should  have, 
until  they  have  a  new  nature;  it  must  consist  in  their  having  a 
certain  kind  of  ideas  or  sensations  of  mind,  which  are  simply  di- 
verse from  all  that  is  or  can  be  in  the  minds  of  naturrj  men.  And 
that  is  the  same  thing  as  to  say,  that  it  consists  in  the  sensations 
of  a  new  spiritual  sense,  which  the  souls  of  natural  men  have  not; 
as  is  evident  by  what  has  been  before,  once  and  again  observed. 
But  I  have  already  shown  what  that  new  spiritual  sense  is  which 
the  saints  have  given  them  in  regeneration,  and  what  is  the  object 
of  it.     I  have  shown  that  the  immediate  object  of  it  is  the  su- 
preme beauty  and  excellency  of  the  nature  of  divine  things,  as 
they  are  in  themselves.     And  this  is  agreeable  to  the  scripture; 
the  apostle  very  plainly  teaches,  that  the  great  thing  discovered 
by  spiritual  light,  and  understood  by  spiritual  knowledge,   is  the 
glory  of  divine  things;  2  Cor.  iv.  3,  4,  "  But  if  our  gospel  be  hid, 
it  is  hid  to  them  that  are  lost;  in  whom  the  god  of  this  world  hath 
blinded  the  m.inds  of  them  that  believe  not,  lest  the  light  of  the 
glorious  gospel  of  Christ,  who  is  the  image  of  God,  should  shine 
unto  them;"  together  with  verse  6,  "  For  God,  who  commanded 
the  liglit  to  shine  out  of  darkness,  hath  shined  into  our  hearts,  to 
give  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the  glory  of  God,  in  the  face 
of  Jesus  Christ."     And  chap.  iii.  18,  preceding:  "  But  we  all 
with  open  face,  beholding  as  in  a  glass  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  arc 
changed  into  the  same  image,  from  glory  to  glorj,  even  as  by  the 
Spirit  of  the  Lord."     And  it  must  needs  be  so,  for,  as  has  been 
before  observed,  tire  scripture  often  teaches,  that  all  true  religion 
summarily  consists  in  the  love  of  divine  things.     And  therefore 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  215 

that  kind  of  understanding  or  knowledge,  which  is  the  proper 
foundation  of  true  religion,  must  be  the  knowledge  of  the  loveli- 
ness of  divine  things.  For  doubtless,  that  knowledge  which  is 
the  proper  foundation  of  love,  is  the  knowledge  of  loveliness. 
What  that  beauty  of  divine  things  is,  which  is  the  proper  and  im- 
mediate object  of  a  spiritual  sense  of  mind,  was  shown  under  the 
last  head  insisted  on,  viz.  that  it  is  the  beauty  of  their  moral  per- 
fection. Therefore  it  is  in  the  view  or  sense  of  this,  that  spirit- 
ual understanding  does  more  immediately  and  primarily  consist 
And  indeed  it  is  plain  it  can  be  nothing  else;  for  (as  has  been 
shown)  there  is  nothing  pertaining  to  divine  things,  besides  the 
beauty  of  their  moral  excellency,  and  those  properties  and  quali- 
ties of  divine  things  which  this  beauty  is  the  foundation  of,  but 
what  natural  men  and  devils  can  see  and  know,  and  will  know 
fully  and  clearly  to  all  eternity. 

From  what  has  been  said,  therefore,  we  come  necessarily  to 
this  conclusion,  concerning  that  wherein  spiritual  understanding 
consists,  viz.  that  it  consists  in  "  a  sense  of  the  heart,  of  the  su- 
preme beauty  and  sweetness  of  the  holiness  or  moral  perfection  of 
divine  things,  together  with  all  that  discerning  and  knowledge  of 
things  of  religion,  that  depends  upon,  and  flows  from  such  a 
sense." 

Spiritual  understanding  consists  primarily  in  a  sense  of  heart 
of  that  spiritual  beauty.  I  say,  a  sense  of  heart;  for  it  is  not 
speculation  merely  that  is  concerned  in  this  kind  of  understand- 
ing; nor  can  there  be  a  clear  distinction  made  between  the  two 
faculties  of  understanding  and  will,  as  acting  distinctly  and  sepa- 
rately, in  this  matter.  When  the  mind  is  sensible  of  the  sweet 
beauty  and  amiableness  of  a  thing,  that  implies  a  sensibleness  of 
sweetness  and  delight  in  the  presence  of  the  idea  of  it:  and  this 
sensibleness  of  the  amiableness  or  delightfulness  of  beauty,  car- 
ries in  the  very  nature  of  it  the  sense  of  the  heart;  or  an  effect 
and  impression  the  soul  is  the  subject  of,  as  a  substance  possess- 
ed of  taste,  inclination  and  will. 

There  is  a  distinction  to  be  made  between  a  mere  notional  un- 
derstanding, wherein  the  mind  only  beholds  things  in  the  exer- 


216  FOURTH  SIGN  OF 

cise  of  a  speculative  faculty;  and  the  sense  of  the  heart,  wherela 
the  mind  does  not  only. speculate  and  behold,  but  relishes  and 
feels.  That  sort  of  knowledge  by  which  a  man  has  a  sensible 
perception  of  amiableness  and  loathsomeness,  or  of  sweetness  and 
nauseousness,  is  not  just  the  same  sort  of  knowledge  with  that 
by  which  he  knows  what  a  triangle  is,  and  what  a  square  is. 
The  one  is  mere  speculative  knowledge,  the  other  sensible 
knowledge,  in  which  more  than  the  mere  intellectual  is  con- 
cerned; the  heart  is  the  proper  subject  of  it,  or  the  soul  as  a  be- 
ing that  not  only  beholds,  but  has  inclination,  and  is  pleased  or 
displeased.  And  yet  there  is  the  nature  of  instruction  in  it;  as 
he  that  has  perceived  the  sweet  taste  of  honey,  knows  much 
more  about  it  than  he  who  has  only  looked  upon  and  felt  of  it. 

The  apostle  seems  to  make  a  distinction  between  mere  specu- 
lative knowledge  of  the  things  of  religion  and  spiritual  know- 
ledge, in  calling  that  "  the  form  of  knowledge  and  of  the  truth  in 
the  law,"  Rom.  ii.  20,  "  Wliich  hath  the  form  of  knowledge,  and 
of  the  truth  in  the  law."  The  latter  is  often  represented  by  re- 
lishing, smelling,  or  tasting,  2  Cor.  ii.  14,  "  Now  tlianks  be  to 
God,  which  always  causeth  us  to  triumph  in  Christ  Jesus,  and 
maketh  manifest  the  savour  of  his  knowledge  in  every  place." 
Matt.  xvi.  53,  "  Thou  savourest  not  the  things  that  be  of  God, 
but  those  things  that  be  of  men:"  1  Pet.  ii.  2,  3,  "  As  new  born 
babes  desire  the  sincere  milk  of  the  word  that  ye  may  grow 
thereby;  if  so  be  ye  have  tasted  that  the  Lord  is  gracious:"  Cant. 
i.  3,  "  Because  of  the  savour  of  thy  good  ointments,  thy  name  is  as 
ointment  poured  forth,  therefore  do  the  virgins  love  thee;"  com- 
pared with  1  John  ii.  20,  "  But  ye  have  an  unction  from  the  Holy 
One,  and  ye  know  all  things." 

Spiritual  understanding  primarily  consists  in  this  sense,  or  taste 
of  the  moral  beauty  of  divine  things;  so  that  no  knowledge  can 
be  called  spiritual,  any  further  than  it  arises  from  this,  and  has 
this  in  it.  But  secondarily  it  includes  all  that  discerning  and 
knowledge  of  things  of  religion  which  depend  upon  and  flow  from 
such  a  sense. 

When  the  true  beauty  and  amiableness  of  the  holiness  or  true 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  217 

iiioral  good  that  is  in  divine  things  is  discovered  to  the  soul,  it  as 
it  were  opens  a  new  world  to  its  views.  This  shows  the  glory 
of  all  the  perfections  of  God,  and  of  every  thing  appertaining  to 
the  divine  Being.  For,  as  was  observed  before,  the  beauty  of  all 
arises  from  God's  moral  perfection.  This  shows  the  glory  of  all 
God's  works,  both  of  creation  and  providence.  For  it  is  the  spe- 
cial glory  of  them,  that  God's  holiness,  righteousness,  faithful- 
ness and  goodness  are  so  manifested  in  them;  and  without  these 
moral  perfections,  there  would  be  no  glory  in  that  power  and 
skill  with  which  they  are  wrought.  The  glorifying  of  God's  mo- 
ral perfections  is  the  special  end  of  all  the  works  of  God's  hands. 
By  this  sense  of  the  moral  beauty  of  divine  things  is  understood 
the  sufficiency  of  Christ  as  a  mediator;  for  it  is  only  by  the  dis- 
covery of  the  beauty  of  the  moral  perfection  of  Christ,  that  the 
believer  is  let  into  the  knowledge  of  the  excellency  of  his  person, 
so  as  to  know  any  thing  more  of  it  than  the  devils  do;  and  it  is 
only  by  the  knowledge  of  the  excellency  of  Christ's  person,  that 
any  know  his  sufficiency  as  a  mediator;  for  the  latter  depends 
upon,  and  arises  from  the  former.  It  is  by  seeing  the  excellency  of 
Christ's  person,  that  the  saints  are  made  sensible  of  the  precious- 
ness  of  his  blood,  and  its  sufficiency  to  atone  for  sin;  for  therein 
consists  the  preciousness  of  Christ's  blood,  that  it  is  the  blood 
of  so  excellent  and  amiable  a  person.  And  on  this  depends  the 
meritoriousness  of  his  obedience,  and  sufficiency  and  prevalence  of 
his  intercession.  By  this  sight  of  the  moral  beautj^  of  divine  things 
is  seen  the  beauty  of  the  way  of  salvation  by  Christ;  for  that  con- 
sists in  the  beauty  of  the  moral  perfections  of  God,  which  won- 
derfully shines  forth  in  every  step  of  this  method  of  salvation, 
from  beginning  to  end.  By  this  is  seen  the  fitness  and  suitable- 
ness of  this  way;  for  this  wholly  consists  in  its  tendency  to  deli- 
ver us  from  sin  and  hell,  and  to  bring  us  to  the  happiness  which 
consists  in  the  possession  and  enjoyment  of  moral  good,  in  a  way 
sweetly  agreeing  with  God's  moral  perfections.  And  in  the 
way's  being  contrived  so  as  to  attain  these  ends,  consists  the  ex- 
cellent wisdom  of  that  way.  By  this  is  seen  the  excellency  of 
the  word  of  God.     Take  away  all  the  moral  beauty  and  sweet- 


218  FOURTH    SIGN    OP 

ness  in  the  word,  and  the  Bible  is  left  wholly  a  dead  letler,  a  dry. 
lifeless,  tasteless  thing.  By  this  is  seen  the  true  foundation  of  our 
duty,  the  worthiness  of  God  to  be  so  esteemed,  honoured,  loved, 
submitted  to,  and  served,  as  he  requires  of  us,  and  the  amiable- 
ness  of  the  duties  themselves  that  are  required  of  us.  And  by 
this  is  seen  the  true  evil  of  sin;  for  he  who  sees  the  beauty  of 
holiness,  must  necessarily  see  the  hatefulness  of  sin,  its  contrary. 
By  this  men  understand  the  true  glory  of  heaven,  which  consists 
in  the  beauty  and  happiness  that  is  in  holiness.  By  this  is  seen 
the  amiableness  and  happiness  of  both  saints  and  angels.  He 
that  sees  the  beauty  of  holiness,  or  true  moral  good,  sees  the 
greatest  and  most  important  thing  in  the  world,  which  is  the  ful- 
ness of  all  things,  without  which  all  the  world  is  empty,  no  bet- 
ter than  nothing,  yea,  worse  than  nothing.  Unless  this  is  seen, 
nothing  is  seen  that  is  worth  the  seeing;  for  there  is  no  other  true 
excellency  or  beauty.  Unless  this  be  understood,  nothing  is  un- 
derstood that  is  worthy  of  the  exercise  of  the  noble  faculty  of  un- 
derstanding. This  is  the  beauty  of  the  godhead,  and  the  di- 
vinity of  divinity  (if  I  may  so  speak)  the  good  of  the  infinite 
fountain  of  good;  without  which,  God  himself  (if  that  were  pos- 
sible to  be)  would  be  an  infinite  evil;  Avithout  which,  we  our- 
selves had  better  never  have  been;  and  without  which  there  had 
better  have  been  no  being.  He  therefore  in  effect  knows  nothing, 
that  knows  not  this;  his  knowledge  is  but  the  shadow  of  know- 
ledge, or  the  form  of  knowledge,  as  the  apostle  calls  it.  Well 
therefore  may  the  scriptures  represent  those  who  are  destitute  of 
that  spiritual  sense,  by  which  is  perceived  the  beauty  of  holiness, 
as  totally  blind,  deaf,  and  senseless,  yea,  dead.  And  well  may 
regeneration,  in  which  this  divine  sense  is  given  to  the  soul  by 
its  Creator,  be  represented  as  opening  the  blind  eyes,  and  raising 
the  dead,  and  bringing  a  person  into  a  new  world.  For  if  what 
has  been  said  be  considered,  it  will  be  manifest,  that  when  a 
person  has  this  sense  and  knowledge  given  him,  he  will  view 
nothing  as  he  did  before;  though  before  he  knew  all  things  "  af- 
ter the  flesh,  yet  henceforth  he  will  know  them  so  no  more;  and 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  219 

he  is  become  a  new  creature;  old  things  are  passed  away,  be- 
hold, all  things  are  become  new;"  agreeable  to  2  Cor,  v.  16,  17. 

And  besides  the  things  that  have  been  already  mentioned,  there 
arises  from  this  sense  of  spiritual  beauty,  all  true  experimental 
knowledge  of  religion,  which  is  of  itself,  as  it  were,  a  new  world 
of  knowledge.  He  that  sees  not  the  beauty  of  holiness,  knows 
not  what  one  of  the  graces  of  God's  Spirit  is;  he  is  destitute  of 
any  idea  or  conception  of  all  gracious  exercises  of  soul,  and  all 
holy  comforts  and  delights,  and  all  effects  of  the  saving  influences 
of  the  Spirit  of  God  on  the  heart;  and  so  is  ignorant  of  the  great- 
est works  of  God,  the  most  important  and  glorious  effects  of  his 
power  upon  the  creature;  and  also  is  wholly  ignorant  of  the  saints, 
as  saints,  he  knows  not  what  they  are;  and  in  effect  is  ignorant 
of  the  whole  spiritual  world. 

Things  being  thus,  it  plainly  appears,  that  God's  implanting  that 
spiritual  supernatural  sense  which  has  been  spoken  of,  makes  a 
great  change  in  a  man.  And  were  it  not  for  the  very  imperfect 
degree,  in  which  this  sense  is  commonly  given  at  first,  or  the 
small  degree  of  this  glorious  light,  that  first  dawns  upon  the  soul; 
the  change  made  by  this  spiritual  opening  of  the  eyes  in  conver- 
sion, would  be  much  greater,  and  more  remarkable  every  way, 
than  if  a  man  who  had  been  born  blind,  and  with  only  the  other 
four  senses,  should  continue  so  a  long  time,  and  then  at  once 
should  have  the  sense  of  seeing  imparted  to  him,  in  the  midst  of 
the  clear  light  of  the  sun,  discovering  a  world  of  visible  objects. 
For  though  sight  is  more  noble  than  any  of  the  other  external 
senses,  yet  this  spiritual  sense  which  has  been  spoken  of,  is  infi- 
nitely more  noble  than  that,  or  any  other  principle  of  discerning 
that  a  man  naturally  has,  and  the  object  of  this  sense  infinitely 
greater  and  more  important. 

This  sort  of  understanding  or  knowledge  is  that  knowledge  of 
divine  things  from  whence  all  truly  gracious  affections  do  proceed; 
by  which  therefore  all  affections  are  to  be  tried.  Those  affec- 
tions that  arise  wholly  from  any  other  kind  of  knowledge,  or  do 
result  from  any  other  kind  of  apprehensions  of  mind  are  vain.f 

I  "Take  heed  of  contenting  j ourselves  with  every  kind  of  knowledge. 


220  FOURTH   SIGN   OP 

From  what  has  been  said  may  be  learned  wherein  the  most  es- 
sential difference  lies  between  that  light  and  understanding  which 
is  given  by  the  common  influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God  on  the 
hearts  of  natural  men,  and  that  saving  instruction  which  is  given 
to  the  saints.  The  latter  primarily  and  most  essentially  lies  in 
beholding  the  holy  beauty  that  is  in  divine  things;  which  is  the 
only  true  moral  good,  and  which  the  soul  of  fallen  man  is  by  na- 
ture totally  blind  to.  The  former  consists  only  in  a  further  un- 
derstanding, through  the  assistance  of  natural  principles,  of  those 
things  which  men  may  know,  in  some  measure,  by  the  alone  or- 
dinary exercise  of  their  faculties.  And  this  knowledge  consists  only 
in  the  knowledge  of  those  things  pertaining  to  religion,  which  are 
natural.  Thus,  for  instance,  in  those  awakenings  and  convic- 
tions of  conscience,  that  natural  men  are  often  subject  to,  the  Spi- 
rit of  God  gives  no  knowledge  of  the  true  moral  beauty  which  is 
in  divine  things;  but  only  assists  the  mind  to  a  clearer  idea  of  the 
guilt  of  sin,  or  its  relation  to  punishment,  and  connexion  with  the 

Do  not  worship  every  image  of  your  own  heads;  especially  you  that  fall 
short  of  truth,  or  the  knowledge  of  it.  For  when  you  have  some,  there  may 
be  that  wanting  which  may  make  you  sincere.  There  are  many  men  of  great 
knowledge,  able  to  teach  themselves,  and  others  too,  and  yet  their  hearts 
are  unsound.  How  comes  this  to  pass?  Is  it  because  they  have  so  much 
light?  No:  because  they  want  much.  And  therefore  content  not  yourselves 
with  every  knowledge.  There  is  some  knowledge  which  men,  by  the  light 
of  nature,  (which  leaves  them  without  excuse)  receive  from  the  book  of  the 
creation,  some  by  power  of  education,  some  by  the  Ught  of  the  law  whereby 
men  know  their  sin  and  evils,  some  by  the  letter  of  the  gospel;  and  so  men 
may  know  much  and  speak  well;  and  so  in  seeing,  see  not:  some  by  the  Spi- 
rit, and  may  see  much,  so  as  to  prophesy  in  Christ's  name,  and  yet  bid  de- 
part. Mat.  vii.  Now  there  is  a  light  of  glory,  whereby  the  elect  see  things 
in  another  manner:  to  tell  you  how,  they  can  not;  it  is  the  light  in  heaven; 
andr-tlie  same  Spirit  that  fills  Christ,  filling  their  minds,  that  they  know,  by 
the  anointing,  all  things;  which  if  ever  you  have,  you  must  become  babes 
and  fools  in  your  own  eyes.  God  will  never  write  his  law  in  your  minds, 
until  all  the  scribblings  of  it  are  blotted  out.  Account  all  your  knowledge 
loss  for  the  gaining  of  this.  It  is  sad  to  see  many  a  man  pleasing  himself  in 
his  own  dreaming  delusions;  yet  the  poor  creature  in  seeing,  sees  not;  which 
is  God's  heavy  curse  upon  men  under  greatest  means,  and  which  lays  all 
waste  and  desolate.    Sheparcfs  Parable,  Part  1,  p.  147. 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  221 

«;.vil  of  suffering,  without  anj  sight  of  its  moral  evil,  or  odiousness 
as  sin,  and  a  clearer  idea  of  the  natural  perfections  of  God,  where- 
in consist,  not  his  holy  beauty  and  glory,  but  his  awful  and  terri- 
ble greatness.  It  is  a  clear  sight  of  this  that  will  fully  awaken 
the  consciences  of  wicked  men  at  the  day  of  judgment,  without 
any  spiritual  light.  And  it  is  a  less  degree  of  the  same  that 
awakens  the  consciences  of  natural  men,  without  spiritual  light, 
in  this  world.  The  same  discoveries  are  in  some  measure  given 
in  the  conscience  of  an  awakened  sinner  in  this  world,  which  will 
be  given  more  fully  in  the  consciences  of  sinners  at  the  day  of? 
judgment.  The  same  kind  of  sight  or  apprehension  of  God,  in  a' 
less  degree,  makes  awakened  sinners  in  this  world  sensible  of  the 
dreadful  guilt  of  sin,  against  so  great  and  terrible  a  God,  and  sen- 
sible of  its  amazing  punishment,  and  fills  them  with  fearful  ap- 
prehensions of  divine  wrath,  that  will  thoroughly  convince  all 
wicked  men  of  the  infinitely  dreadful  nature  and  guilt  of  sin,  and 
astonish  them  with  apprehensions  of  wrath,  when  Christ  shall 
come  in  the  glory  of  his  power  and  majesty,  and  every  eye  shall 
see  him,  and  all  the  kindreds  of  the  earth  shall  wail  because  of 
him.  And  in  those  common  illuminations  which  are  sometimes 
given  to  natural  men,  exciting  in  them  some  kind  of  religious  de- 
sire, love  and  joy,  the  mind  is  only  assisted  to  a  clearer  appre- 
hension of  the  natural  good  that  is  in  divine  things.  Thus  some- 
times, under  common  illuminations,  men  are  raised  with  the  ideas 
of  the  natural  good  that  is  in  heaven;  as  its  outward  glory,  its 
ease,  its  honour  and  advancement,  a  being  there  the  object  of  the 
high  favour  of  God,  and  the  great  respect  of  men  and  angels,  &c. 
So  there  are  many  things  exhibited  in  the  gospel  concerning  God 
and  Christ,  and  the  way  of  salvation,  that  have  a  natural  good  in 
them,  which  suits  the  natural  principle  of  self-love.  Thus  in 
that  great  goodness  of  God  to  sinners,  and  the  wonderful  dying 
love  of  Christ,  there  is  a  natural  good  which  all  men  love,  as  they 
love  themselves;  as  well  as  a  spiritual  and  holy  beauty,  which  is 
seen  only  by  the  regenerate.  Therefore  there  arc  many  things 
appertaining  to  the  word  of  God's  grace  delivered  in  the  gospel, 

which  may  cause  natural  men,  when  they  hear  it,  anon  with  joy 
2  E 


222  FOURTH  SIGN  OF 

to  receive  it.  All  that  love  which  natural  men  have  to  God  and 
Christ,  and  christian  virtues,  and  good  men,  is  not  from  any  sight 
of  the  amiableness  of  the  holiness,  or  true  moral  excellency  of 
these  things;  but  only  for  the  sake  of  the  natural  good  there  is  in 
:  them.  All  natural  mens  hatred  of  sin  is  as  much  from  principles  of 
nature,  as  mens  hatred  of  a  tiger  for  his  rapaciousness.  Or  their  aver- 
sion to  a  serpent  for  his  poison  and  hurtfulness;  and  all  their  love 
of  christian  virtue  is  from  no  higher  principle  than  their  love  of 
a  man's  good  nature,  which  appears  amiable  to  natural  men;  but 
no  otherwise  than  silver  and  gold  appears  amiable  in  the  eyes  of 
a  merchant,  or  than  the  blackness  of  the  soil  is  beautiful  in  the 
eyes  of  a  farmer. 

From  what  has  been  said  of  the  nature  of  spiritual  understand- 
ing, it  appears  that  spiritual  understanding  does  not  consist  in  any 
new  doctrinal  knowledge,  or  in  having  suggested  to  the  mind  any 
new  proposition  not  before  heard  or  read  of;  for  it  is  plain  that 
this  suggesting  of  new  propositions  is  a  thing  entirely  diverse 
from  giving  the  mind  a  new  taste  or  relish  of  beauty  and  sweet- 
ness,! It  is  also  evident  that  spiritual  knowledge  does  not  con- 
sist in  any  new  doctrinal  explanation  of  any  part  of  the  scripture; 
for  still,  this  is  but  doctrinal  knowledge,  or  the  knowledge  of  pro- 
positions; the  doctrinal  explaining  of  any  part  of  scripture  is  only 
giving  us  to  understand  what  are  the  propositions  contained  or 
taught  in  that  part  of  scripture. 

Hence  it  appears  that  the  spiritual  understanding  of  the  scrip- 
ture does  not  consist  in  opening  to  the  mind  the  mystical  mean- 
ing of  the  scripture,  in  its  parables,  types  and  allegories;  for  this 
is  only  a  doctrinal  explication  of  the  scripture.    He  that  explains 

•J-  Calvin,  in  his  Institutions,  Book  I.  chap.  is.  §  1,  says,  "  It  is  not  the  office 
of  the  Spirit  that  is  promised  us,  to  make  new  and  before  unheard  of  revela- 
tions, or  to  coin  some  new  kind  of  doctrine,  whicli  tends  to  draw  us  away 
from  the  received  doctrines  of  the  gospel;  but  to  seal  and  confirm  to  us  that 
very  doctrine  which  is  by  the  gospel."  And  in  the  same  place  he  speaks  of 
some  that  in  those  days  maintained  the  contrary  notion,  "  pretending  to  be 
immediately  led  by  the  Spirit,  as  persons  that  were  governed  by  a  most 
haughty  self-conceit:  and  not  so  properly  to  be  looked  upon  as  only  labour- 
ing under  a,  mistake,  as  driven  by  a  sort  of  raving  madness. 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  223 

what  is  meant  by  the  stony  ground,  and  the  seed's  springing  up 
suddenly  and  quickly,  and  withering  away,  only  explains  what 
propositions  or  doctrines  are  taught  in  it.  So  he  that  explains 
what  is  typified  by  Jacob's  ladder,  and  the  angels  of  God  ascend- 
ing and  descending  on  it;  or  what  Avas  typified  by  Joshua's  lead- 
ing Israel  through  Jordan,  only  shows  what  propositions  are  hid 
in  these  passages.  And  many  men  can  explain  these  types,  who 
liave  no  spiritual  knowledge.  It  is  possible  that  a^^n  might 
know  how  to  interpret  all  the  types,  parables,  enigmas  and  alle- 
gories in  the  Bible,  and  not  have  one  beam  of  spiritual  light  in 
his  mind;  because  he  may  not  have  the  least  degree  of  that  spi- 
ritual sense  of  the  holy  beauty  of  divine  things  which  has  been 
spoken  of,  and  may  see  nothing  of  this  kind  of  glory  in  any  thing 
contained  in  any  of  these  mysteries,  or  any  other  part  of  the  scrip- 
ture. It  is  plain  by  what  the  apostle  says,  that  a  man  might  un-  • 
-derstand  all  such  mysteries,  and  have  no  saving  grace,  1  Cor. 
xiii.  2,  "  And  though  I  have  the  gift  of  prophecy,  and  understand 
all  mysteries,  and  all  knowledge,  and  have  not  charity,  it  pro- 
fiteth  me  nothing."  They  therefore  are  very  foolish  who  are 
exalted  in  an  opinion  of  their  own  spiritual  attainments,  from  no- 
tions that  come  into  their  minds,  of  the  mystical  meaning  of  these 
and  those  passages  of  scripture,  as  though  it  was  a  spiritual  un- 
derstanding of  these  passages,  immediately  given  them  by  the 
Spirit  of  God,  and  hence  have  their  affections  highly  raised;  and 
what  has  been  said  shows  the  vanity  of  such  affections. 

From  what  has  been  said  it  is  also  evident  that  it  is  not  spi- 
ritual knowledge  for  persons  to  be  informed  of  ttieir  duty,  by  hav- 
ing it  immediately  suggested  to  their  minds  that  such  and  such 
outivard  actions  or  deeds  are  the  will  of  God.  If  we  suppose 
that  it  is  truly  God's  manner  thus  to  signify  his  will  to  his  people 
by  immediate  inward  suggestions,  such  suggestions  have  nothing 
of  the  nature  of  spiritual  light.  Such  kind  of  knowledge  would 
only  be  one  kind  of  doctrinal  knowledge;  a  proposition  concern- 
ing the  will  of  God  is  as  properly  a  doctrine  of  religion,  as  a  pro- 
position concerning  the  nature  of  God,  or  a  work  of  God;  and  a 
having  either  of  these  kinds  of  propositions,  or  any  other  propo- 


224  FOURTh  SIGN  OF 

sition,  declared  to  a  man,  either  by  speech  or  inward  suggestion, 
differs  vastly  from  a  having  the  holy  beauty  of  divine  things  mani- 
fested to  the  soul,  wherein  spiritual  knowledge  does  most  essen- 
tially consist.  Thus  there  was  no  spiritual  light  in  Balaam, 
though  he  had  the  will  of  God  immediately  suggested  to  him  by 
the  Spirit  of  God  from  time  to  time,  concerning  the  way  that  he 
should  go,  and  what  he  should  do  and  say. 

It  is  manifest  therefore  that  a  being  led  and  directed  in  this 
manner,  is  not  that  holy  and  spiritual  leading  of  the  Spirit  of  God 
which  is  peculiar  to  the  saints,  and  a  distinguishing  mark  of  the 
sons  of  God,  spoken  of,  Rom.  viii.  14,  "  For  as  many  as  are  led 
h\  the  Spirit  of  God,  are  the  sons  of  God;"  Gal.  v.  18,  "  But  if 
ye  be  led  by  the  Spirit,  ye  are  not  under  the  law." 

And  if  persons  have  the  will  of  God  concerning  their  actions, 
suggested  to  them  by  some  text  of  scripture,  suddenly  and  extra- 
ordinarily brought  to  their  minds,  which  text,  as  the  words  lay  in 
the  Bible  before  they  came  to  their  minds,  related  to  the  action 
and  behaviour  of  some  other  person,  but  they  suppose,  as  God 
sent  the  words  to  them,  he  intended  something  further  by  them, 
and  meant  such  a  particular  action  of  theirs;  I  say,  if  persons 
should  have  the  will  of  God  thus  suggested  to  them  with  texts  ol* 
scripture,  it  alters  not  the  case.  The  suggestion  being  accompa- 
nied with  an  apt  text  of  scripture,  does  not  make  the  suggestion 
to  be  of  the  nature  of  spiritual  instruction.  As  for  instance,  if  a 
person  in  New  England,  on  some  occasion,  were  at  a  loss  whe- 
ther it  was  his  duty  to  go  into  some  popish  or  heathenish  land, 
where  he  was  like  to  be  exposed  to  many  difficulties  and  dangers, 
and  should  pray  to  God  that  he  would  show  him  the  way  of  his 
duty;  and  after  earnest  prayer,  should  have  those  words  which 
God  spake  to  Jacob,  Gen.  xlvi.  suddenly  and  extraordinarily 
brought  to  his  mind,  as  if  they  were  spoken  to  him;  "  Fear  not 
to  go  down  into  Egypt;  for  I  will  go  with  thee;  and  I  will  also 
surely  bring  thee  up  again."  In  which  words,  though  as  they  lay 
in  the  Bible  before  they  came  to  his  mind,  they  related  only  to 
Jacob  and  his  behaviour;  yet  he  supposes  that  God  has  a  further 
meaning,  as  they  were  brought  and  applied  to  him,  that  thus  they 


GRACIOUS   AFFECTIONS.  225 

are  to  be  understood  in  a  new  sense,  that  by  Egypt  is  to  be  under- 
stood this  particular  country  he  has  in  his  mind,  and  that  the  ac- 
tion intended  is  his  going  thither,  and  that  the  meaning  of  the 
promise  is,  that  God  would  bring  him  back  into  New  England 
again.  There  is  nothing  of  the  nature  of  a  spiritual  or  gracious 
leading  of  the  Spirit  in  this;  for  there  is  nothing  of  the  nature  of 
spiritual  understanding  in  it.  Thus  to  understand  texts  of  scrip- 
ture, is  not  to  have  a  spiritual  understanding  of  them.  Spiritually 
to  understand  the  scripture,  is  rightly  to  understand  what  is  in  the 
scripture,  and  what  was  in  it  before  it  was  understood:  it  is  to 
understand  rightly,  what  used  to  be  contained  in  the  meaning  of 
it,  and  not  the  making  of  a  new  meaning.  When  the  mind  is 
enlightened  spiritually  and  rightly  to  understand  the  scripture,  it 
is  enabled  to  see  that  in  the  scripture  which  before  was  not  seen 
by  reason  of  blindness.  But  if  it  was  by  reason  of  blindness,  that 
is  an  evidence  that  the  same  meaning  was  in  it  before,  otherwise 
it  would  have  been  no  blindness  not  to  see  it;  it  is  no  blindness 
not  to  see  a  meaning  which  is  not  there.  Spiritually  enlighten- 
ing the  eyes  to  understand  the  scripture,  is  to  open  the  eyes,  Psal. 
cxix.  18,  "  Open  thou  mine  eyes  that  I  may  behold  wondrous 
things  out  of  thy  law;"  which  argues  that  the  reason  why  the  same 
was  not  seen  in  the  scripture  before  was  that  the  eyes  were  shut; 
which  would  not  be  the  case,  if  the  meaning  that  is  now  under- 
derstood  was  not  there  before,  but  is  now  newly  added  to  the 
scripture,  by  the  manner  of  the  scripture's  coming  to  my  mind. 
This  making  a  new  meaning  to  the  scripture,  is  the  same  thing 
as  making  a  new  scripture;  it  is  properly  adding  to  the  word, 
which  is  threatened  with  so  dreadful  a  curse.  Spiritually  to  un- 
derstand the  scripture,  is  to  have  the  eyes  of  the  mind  opened,  to- 
behold  the  wonderful  spiritual  excellency  of  the  glorious  things 
contained  in  the  true  meaning  of  it,  and  that  always  were  con- 
tained in  it  ever  since  it  was  written;  to  behold  the  amiable  and 
bright  manifestations  of  the  divine  perfections,  and  of  the  excel- 
lency and  sufficiency  of  Christ,  and  the  excellency  and  suitable- 
ness of  the  way  of  salvation  by  Christ,  and  the  spiritual  glory  of 
the  precepts  and  promises  of  the  scripture,  &c.  which  things  an; 


226  FOURTH  SIGN  OP 

and  always  were  in  tlie  Bible,  and  would  have  been  seen  before, 
if  it  had  not  been  for  blindness,  without  having  any  new  sense 
added,  by  the  words  being  sent  by  God  to  a  particular  person, 
and  spoken  anew  to  him  with  a  new  meaning. 

And  as  to  a  gracious  leading  of  the  Spirit,  it  consists  in  two 
things:  partly  in  instructing  a  person  in  his  duty  by  the  Spirit, 
and  partly  in  powerfully  inducing  him  to  comply  with  that  in- 
struction. But  so  far  as  the  gracious  leading  of  the  Spirit  lies  in 
instruction,  it  consists  in  a  person's  being  guided  by  a  spiritual 
and  distinguishing  taste  of  that  which  has  in  it  true  moral  beauty. 
I  have  shown  that  spiritual  knowledge  primarily  consists  in  a  taste 
or  relish  of  the  amiableness  and  beauty  of  that  which  is  truly  good 
and  holy.  This  holy  relish  is  a  thing  that  discerns  and  distin- 
guishes between  good  and  evil,  between  holy  and  unholy,  without 
being  at  the  trouble  of  a  train  of  reasonins".  As  he  who  has  a 
true  relish  of  external  beauty,  knows  what  is  beautiful  by  looking 
upon  it;  he  stands  in  no  need  of  a  train  of  reasoning  about  the 
proportion  of  the  features,  in  order  to  determine  whether  that 
which  he  sees  be  a  beautiful  countenance  or  not;  he  needs  no- 
thing but  only  the  glance  of  his  eye.  He  who  has  a  rectified 
musical  ear,  knows  whether  the  sound  he  hears  be  true  harmony; 
he  does  not  need  first  to  be  at  the  trouble  of  the  reasonings  of  a 
mathematician  about  the  proportion  of  the  notes.  He  that  has  a 
rectified  palate  knows  what  is  good  food,  as  soon  as  he  tastes  it, 
without  the  reasoning  of  a  physician  about  it.  There  is  a  holy 
beauty  and  sweetness  in  words  and  actions,  as  well  as  a  natural 
beauty  in  countenances  and  sounds,  and  sweetness  in  food;  Job 
xii.  11,  "Doth  not  the  ear  try  words,  and  the  mouth  taste  his 
meat?"  When  a  holy  and  amiable  action  is  suggested  to  the 
thoughts  of  a  holy  soul,  that  soul,  if  in  the  lively  exercise  of  its 
spiritual  taste,  at  once  sees  a  beauty  in  it,  and  so  inclines  to  it^ 
and  closes  with  it.  On  the  contrary,  if  an  unworthy,  unholy  ac" 
tion  be  suggested  to  it,  its  sanctified  eye  sees  no  beauty  in  it,  and 
is  not  pleased  with  it;  its  sanctified  taste  relishes  no  sweetness  in 
it,  but  on  the  contrary,  it  is  nauseous  to  it.  Yea,  its  holy  taste 
and  appetite  leads  it  to  Uiink  of  that  which  is  truly  lovely,  and 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  227 

naturally  suggests  it;  as  a  healthy  taste  and  appetite  naturally 
suggests  the  idea  of  its  proper  object.  Thus  a  holy  person  is  led 
by  the  Spirit,  as  he  is  instructed  and  led  by  his  holy  taste  and  dis- 
position of"  heart;  whereby,  in  the  lively  exercise  of  grace,  he 
easily  distinguishes  good  and  evil,  and  knows  at  once  what  is  a 
suitable  amiable  behaviour  towards  God  and  towards  man,  in  this 
case  and  the  other,  and  judges  what  is  right,  as  it  Avere  spontane- 
ously, and  of  himself,  without  a  particular  deduction,  by  any  other 
arguments  than  the  beauty  that  is  seen,  and  goodness  that  is  tast- 
ed. Thus  Christ  blames  the  pharisees,  that  they  "  did  not,  even 
of  their  own  selves,  judge  what  was  right,"  without  needing  mi- 
racles to  prove  it,  Luke  xii.  57.  The  apostle  seems  plainly  to 
have  respect  to  this  way  of  judging  of  spiritual  beauty,  in  Rom. 
xii.  2,  "  Be  ye  transformed  by  the  renewing  of  your  mind,  that 
ye  may  prove  what  is  that  good  and  perfect  and  acceptable  will 
of  God." 

There  is  such  a  thing  as  good  taste  of  natural  beauty  (which 
learned  men  often  speak  of)  that  is  exercised  about  temporal 
things,  in  judging  of  them;  as  about  the  justness  of  a  speech,  the 
goodness  of  style,  the  beauty  of  a  poem,  the  gracefulness  of  de- 
portment, &c.  A  late  great  philosopher  of  our  nation,  writes 
thus  upon  itf;  "  To  have  a  taste  is  to  give  things  their  real  va- 
lue, to  be  touched  with  the  good,  to  be  shocked  with  the  ill;  not 
to  be  dazzled  with  false  lustres,  but  in  spite  of  all  colours,  and 
every  thing  that  might  deceive  or  amuse,  to  judge  soundly.  Taste 
and  judgment,  then,  should  be  the  same  thing;  and  yet  it  is  easy 
to  discern  a  difference.  The  judgment  forms  its  opinions  from  re- 
flection: the  reason  on  this  occasion  fetches  a  kind  of  circuit, 
to  arrive  at  its  end;  it  supposes  principles,  it  draws  consequen- 
ces, and  it  judges;  but  not  without  a  thorough  knowledge  of  the 
case;  so  that  after  it  has  pronounced,  it  is  ready  to  render  a  rea- 
son of  its  decrees.  Good  taste  observes  none  of  these  formalities; 
ere  it  has  time  to  consult,  it  has  taken  its  side;  as  soon  as  ever 
the  object  is  presented,  the  impression  is  made,  the  sentiment 

f  Chambers'  Dictionary,  under  the  word  taste. 


) 


238  FOURTH  SIGN  OF 

formecl,  ask  no  more  of  it.  As  the  ear  is  wounded  with  a  harsh 
sound,  as  the  smell  is  soothed  with  an  agreeable  odour,  before 
ever  the  reason  have  meddled  with  those  objects  to  judge  of 
them,  so  the  taste  opens  itself  at  once,  and  prevents  all  reflec- 
tion. They  may  come  afterwards  to  confirm  it,  and  discover  the 
secret  reasons  of  its  conduct;  but  it  was  not  in  its  power  to  wait 
for  them.  Frequently  it  happens  not  to  know  them  at  all,  and 
ivhat  pains  soever  it  uses,  can  not  discover  what  it  was  determin- 
ed it  to  think  as  it  did.  This  conduct  is  very  different  from  what 
the  judgment  observes  in  its  decisions:  unless  we  choose  to  say, 
that  good  taste  is,  as  it  were,  a  first  motion,  or  a  kind  of  instinct 
of  right  reason,  which  hurries  on  with  rapidity,  and  conducts 
more  securely,  than  all  the  reasonings  she  could  make;  it  is  a 
first  glance  of  the  eye,  which  discovers  to  us  the  nature  and  rela- 
tions of  things  in  a  moment. 

Now  as  there  is  such  a  kind  of  taste  of  the  mind  as  this,  which 
philosophers  speak  of,  whereby  persons  are  guided  in  their  judg- 
ment, of  the  natural  beauty,  gracefuhiess,  propriety,  nobleness, 
and  sublimity  of  speeches  and  action,  whereby  they  judge  as  it 
were  by  the  glance  of  the  eye,  or  by  inward  sensation,  and  the 
first  impression  of  the  object;  so  there  is  likewise  such  a  thing  as 
a  divine  taste,  given  and  maintained  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  in  the 
hearts  of  the  saints,  whereby  they  are  in  like  manner  led  and 
guided  in  discerning  and  distinguishing  the  true  spiritual  and  holy 
beauty  of  actions;  and  that  more  easily,  readily,  and  accurately, 
as  they  have  more  or  less  of  the  Spirit  of  God  dwelling  in  them. 
And  thus  "  the  sons  of  God  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God,  in  their 
behaviour  in  the  world." 

A  holy  disposition  and  spiritual  taste,  where  grace  is  strong 
and  lively,  will  enable  a  soul  to  determine  what  actions  are  right 
and  becoming  Christians,  not  only  more  speedily,  but  far  more  ex- 
actly than  the  greatest  abilities  without  it.  This  may  be  illus- 
trated by  the  manner  in  which  some  habits  of  mind  and  disposi- 
tions of  heart,  of  a  nature  inferior  to  true  grace,  will  teach  and 
guide  a  man  in  his  actions.  As  for  instance,  if  a  man  be  a  veiy 
good  natured  man,  his  good  nature  will  teach  him  better  how  to 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  229 

act  benevolently  amongst  mankind,  and  will  direct  him  on  every 
occasion  to  those  speeches  and  actions  wiiich  are  agreeable  to 
rules  of  goodness,  than  the  strongest  reason  will  a  man  of  a  mo- 
rose temper.  So  if  a  man's  heart  be  under  the  influence  of  an 
entire  friendship,  and  most  endeared  affection  to  another;  though 
he  be  a  man  of  an  indifferent  capacity,  yet  this  habit  of  his 
mind  will  direct  him,  far  more  readily  and  exactly,  to  a  speech 
and  deportment,  or  manner  of  behaviour,  which  shall  in  all  re- 
spects be  sweet  and  kind,  and  agreeable  to  a  benevolent  disposi- 
tion of  heart,  than  the  greatest  capacity  without  it.  He  has  as 
it  were  a  spirit  within  him  that  guides  him;  the  habit  of  his  mind 
is  attended  with  a  taste,  by  which  he  immediately  relishes  that 
air  and  mien  which  is  benevolent,  and  disrelishes  the  contrary^ 
and  causes  him  to  distinguish  between  one  and  the  other  in  a 
moment,  more  precisely,  than  the  most  accurate  reasonings  can 
find  out  in  many  hours.  As  the  nature  and  inward  tendency  of 
a  stone,  or  other  heavy  body  that  is  let  fall  from  aloft,  shows  the 
way  to  the  centre  of  the  earth  more  exactly  in  an  instant,  than 
the  ablest  mathematician  without  it,  could  determine,  by  his  most 
accurate  observations  in  a  whole  day.  Thus  it  is  that  a  spiritual 
disposition  and  taste  teaches  and  guides  a  man  in  his  behaviour 
in  the  world.  So  an  eminently  humble,  or  meek,  or  charitable 
disposition  will  direct  a  person  of  mean  capacity  to  such  a  beha- 
viour as  is  agreeable  to  christian  rules  of  humility,  meekness  and 
charity,  far  more  readily  and  precisely  than  the  most  diligent 
study  and  elaborate  reasonings  of  a  man  of  the  strongest  faculties, 
who  has  not  a  christian  spirit  within  him.  So  also  will  a  Spirit' 
of  love  to  God,  and  holy  fear  and  reverence  towards  God,  and 
filial  confidence  in  God,  and  a  heavenly  disposition,  teach  and  guide 
a  man  in  his  behaviour. 

It  is  an  exceeding  difficult  thing  for  a  wicked  man,  destitute 
of  christian  principles  in  his  heart  to  guide  him,  to  know  how  to 
demean  himself  like  a  Christian,  with  the  life  and  beauty,  and 
heavenly  sweetness  of  a  truly  holy,  humble,  christlike  behaviour. 
He  knows  not  how  to  put  on  these  garments;  neither  do  they  fit 
him,  Eccl.  x.  2,  3.  "  A  wise  man's  heart  is  at  his  right  hand; 


230  FOURTH  SIGN  OF 

but  a  fool's  heciii:  is  at  his  left.  Yea  also,  when  he  that  is  a 
fool  walketh  b>  the  way,  his  wisdom  faileth  him,  and  he  saith  to 
every  one  that  he  is  a  fool;"  with  ver.  15,  "  The  labour  of  the 
foolish  wearieth  every  one  of  them,  because  he  knoweth  not  how 
to  go  to  the  city;"  Prov.  x.  32,  "  The  lips  of  the  righteous  know 
what  is  acceptable;"  chap.  x^'.  2,  "  The  tongue  of  the  wise  useth 
knowledge  aright;  but  the  mouth  of  fools  poureth  out  foolish- 
ness;" and  chap.  xvi.  23,  "The  heart  of  the  righteous  teacheth 
his  mouth,  and  addeth  learning  to  his  lips." 

The  saints  in  thus  judging  of  actions,  by  a  spiritual  taste,  have 
not  a  particular  recourse  to  express  rules  of  God's  word,  with  re- 
spect to  every  word  and  action  that  is  before  them,  the  good  or 
evil  of  which  they  thus  judge:  but  yet  their  taste  itself,  in  general, 
is  subject  to  the  rule  of  God's  word,  and  must  be  tried  by  that, 
and  a  right  reasoning  upon  it.  As  a  man  of  a  rectified  palate 
judges  of  particular  morsels  by  his  taste;  but  yet  his  palate  itself 
must  be  judged  of,  whether  it  be  right  or  not,  by  certain  rules  and 
reasons.  But  a  spiritual  taste  of  soul  mightily  helps  the  soul  in  its 
reasonings  on  the  word  of  God,  and  in  judging  of  the  true  meaning 
of  its  rules;  as  it  removes  the  prejudices  of  a  depraved  appetite 
and  naturally  leads  the  thoughts  in  the  right  channel,  casts  a  light 
on  the  word  of  God,  and  causes  the  true  meaning  most  naturally 
to  come  to  mind,  through  the  harmony  there  is  between  the  dis- 
position and  relish  of  a  sanctified  soul  and  the  true  meaning  of  the 
rules  of  God's  word.  Yea,  this  harmony  tends  to  bring  the  texts 
themselves  to  mind,  on  proper  occasions,  as  the  particular  state  of 
the  stomach  and  palate  tends  to  bring  such  particular  meats  and 
drinks  to  mind  as  are  agreeable  to  that  state.  "  Thus  the  children 
of  God  are  led  by  the  Spirit  of  God"  in  judging  of  actions  them- 
selves, and  in  their  meditations  upon  and  judging  of  and  applying 
the  rules  of  God's  holy  word:  and  so  God  "  teaches  them  his 
statutes,  and  causes  them  to  understand  the  way  of  his  precepts," 
which  the  psalmist  so  often  prays  for. 

But  this  leading  of  the  Spirit  is  a  thing  exceedingly  diverse 
from  that  which  some  call  so;  which  consists  not  in  teaching  them 
God's  statutes  and  precepts  that  he  has  already  given;  but  in  giv- 
ing them  new  precepts,  by  immediate  inward  speech  or  suggestion; 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  231 

and  has  in  it  no  tasting  the  true  excellency  of  things,  or  judging 
or  discerning  the  nature  of  things  at  all.  Thej  do  not  determine 
what  is  the  will  of  God  by  any  taste  or  relish,  or  any  manner  of 
judging  of  the  nature  of  things,  but  by  an  immediate  dictate  con- 
cerning the  thing  to  be  done;  there  is  no  such  thing  as  any  judg- 
ment or  wisdom  in  the  case.  Whereas  in  that  leading  of  the 
Spirit,  which  is  peculiar  to  God's  children,  is  imparting  that  true 
wisdom  and  holy  discretion,  so  often  spoken  of  in  the  word  of  God; 
which  is  high  above  the  other  way,  as  the  stars  are  higher  than  a 
glow  worm;  and  that  which  Balaam  and  Saul  (who  sometimes 
were  led  by  the  Spirit  in  that  other  way)  never  had,  and  no  na- 
tural man  can  have,  without  a  change  of  nature. 

What  has  been  said  of  the  nature  of  spiritual  understanding,  as 
consisting  most  essentially  in  a  divine  supernatural  sense  and  re- 
lish of  the  heart,  not  only  shows  that  there  is  nothing  of  it  in  this 
falsely  supposed  leading  of  the  Spirit,  which  has  been  spoken  of; 
but  also  shows  the  difference  between  spiritual  understanding  and 
all  kinds  and  forms  of  enthusiasm,  all  imaginary  sights  of  God  and 
Christ  and  heaven,  all  supposed  witnessing  of  the  Spirit,  and  tes- 
timonies of  the  love  of  God  by  immediate  inward  suggestion;  and 
all  impressions  of  future  events,  and  immediate  revelations  of 
any  secret  facts  whatsoever;  all  enthusiastical  impressions  and 
applications  of  words  of  scripture,  as  though  they  were  words  now 
immediately  spoken  by  God  to  a  particular  person,  in  a  new  mean- 
ing, and  carrying  something  more  in  them  than  the  words  contain 
as  they  lie  in  the  Bible;  and  all  interpretations  of  the  mystical  mean- 
ing of  the  scripture,  by  supposed  immediate  revelation.  None  of 
these  things  consists  in  a  divine  sense  and  relish  of  the  heart,  of  the 
holy  beauty  and  excellency  of  divine  things;  nor  have  they  any 
thing  to  do  with  such  a  sense;  but  all  consist  in  impressions  in  the 
head:  all  are  to  be  referred  to  the  head  of  impressions  on  the  im- 
agination, and  consist  in  the  exciting  external  ideas  in  the  mind, 
either  in  ideas  or  outward  shapes  and  colours,  or  words  spoken, 
or  letters  written,  of  ideas  of  things  external  and  sensible,  belong- 
ing to  actions  done,  or  events  accomplished  or  to  be  accomplish- 
ed.    An  enthusiastical  supposed  manifestation  of  the  love  of  Gotj, 


232  FOURTH    SIGN  OF 

is  made  by  the  exciting  an  idea  of  a  smiling  countenance,  or  some 
other  pleasant  outward  appearance,  or  by  the  idea  of  pleasant 
words  spoken  or  written,  excited  in  the  imagination,  or  some 
pleasant  bodily  sensation.  So  when  persons  have  an  imaginary 
revelation  of  some  secret  fact,  it  is  by  exciting  external  ideas; 
either  of  some  words  implying  a  declaration  of  that  fact,  or  some 
visible  or  sensible  circumstances  of  such  a  fact.  So  the  supposed 
leading  of  the  Spirit  to  do  the  will  of  God,  in  outward  behaviour, 
is  either  by  exciting  the  idea  of  words  (which  are  outward  things) 
in  their  minds,  either  the  words  of  scripture,  or  other  words,  which 
they  look  upon  as  an  immediate  command  of  God;  or  by  exciting 
and  impressing  strongly  the  ideas  of  the  outward  actions  themselves. 
So  when  an  interpretation  of  a  scripture  type  or  allegory  is  imme- 
diately, in  an  extraordinary  way,  strongly  suggested,  it  is  by  sug- 
gesting words,  as  though  one  secretly  whispered  and  told  the 
meaning,  or  by  exciting  other  ideas  in  the  imagination. 

Such  sort  of  experiences  and  discoveries  as  these  commonly 
raise  the  affections  of  such  as  are  deluded  by  them  to  a  great 
height,  and  make  a  mighty  uproar  in  both  soul  and  body.  And 
a  very  great  part  of  the  false  religion  that  has  been  in  the  world, 
from  one  age  to  another,  consists  in  such  discoveries  as  these,  and 
in  the  affections  that  flow  from  them.  In  such  things  consisted  the 
experiences  of  the  ancient  Pythagoreans  among  the  heathen,  and 
many  others  among  them,  who  had  strange  ecstacies  and  raptures, 
and  pretended  to  a  divine  afflatus,  and  immediate  revelations  from 
heaven.  In  such  things  as  these  seem  to  have  consisted  the  ex- 
periences of  the  Essenes,  an  ancient  sect  among  the  Jews,  at  and 
after  the  times  of  the  apostles.  In  such  things  as  these  consisted 
the  experiences  of  many  of  the  ancient  Gnostics,  and  the  Monta- 
nists,  and  many  other  sects  of  ancient  heretics,  in  the  primitive 
ages  of  the  christian  church.  And  in  such  things  as  these  con- 
sisted the  pretended  immediate  converse  with  God  and  Christ, 
and  saints  and  angels  of  heaven,  of  the  Monks,  Anchorites  and 
Recluses,  that  formerly  abounded  in  the  church  of  Rome.  In 
such  things  consisted  the  pretended  high  experiences,  and  great 
spirituality  of  many  sects  of  ej[ithusiasts  that  swarmed  in  the  world 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  233 

after  the  reformation;  such  as  Anabaptists,  Antinomians  and  Fa- 
mihsts,  the  followers  of  N.  Stork,  Th.  Miincer,  Jo.  Becold,  Hen- 
ry Pfeiser,  David  George,  Casper  Swenckfield,  Henry  Nicholas, 
Johannas  Agricola  Eislebius;  and  the  many  wild  enthusiasts  that 
were  in  England  in  the  days  of  Oliver  Cromwell;  and  the  follow- 
ers of  Mrs.  Hutchinson  in  New  England ;  as  appears  by  the  par- 
ticular and  large  accounts  given  of  all  these  sects  by  that  emi- 
nently holy  man,  Mr.  Samuel  Rutherford,  in  his  "  Display  of  the 
Scriptural  Antichrist."  And  in  such  things  as  these  consisted  the 
experiences  of  the  late  French  prophets  and  their  followers.  And 
in  these  things  seems  to  lie  the  religion  of  many  kinds  of  enthu- 
siasts of  the  present  day.  It  is  by  such  sort  of  religion  as  this, 
chiefly,  that  Satan  transforms  himself  into  an  angel  of  light:  and 
it  is  that  which  he  has  ever  most  successfully  made  use  of  to 
confound  hopeful  and  happy  revivals  of  religion,  from  the  begin- 
ning of  the  christian  church  to  this  day.  When  the  Spirit  of  God 
is  poured  out,  to  begin  a  glorious  work,  then  the  old  sequent,  as 
fast  as  possible,  and  by  all  means,  introduces  this  bastard  religion 
and  mingles  it  with  the  true;  which  has  from  time  to  time  soon 
brought  all  things  into  confusion.  The  pernicious  consequence  of  it 
is  not  easily  imagined  or  conceived  of,  until  we  see  and  are  amazed 
with  the  awful  effects  of  it,  and  the  dismal  desolation  it  has  made. 
Though  the  revival  of  true  religion  be  very  great  in  its  beginning, 
yet,  if  this  bastard  comes  in,  there  is  danger  of  its  doing  as  Gide- 
on's bastard  Abimelech  did,  who  never  left  until  he  had  slain 
all  his  three  score  and  ten  true-born  sons,  excepting  one,  who 
was  forced  to  fly.  Great  and  strict  therefore  should  be  the  watch 
and  guard  that  ministers  maintain  against  such  things,  especially 
at  a  time  of  great  awakening:  for  men,  especially  the  common 
people,  are  easily  bewitched  with  such  things;  they  having  such 
a  glaring  and  glistering  show  of  high  religion;  and  the  devil  hiding 
his  own  shape,  and  appearing  as  an  angel  of  light,  that  men  may 
not  be  afraid  of  him,  but  may  adore  him. 

The  imagination  or  phantasy  seems  to  be  that  wherein  are 
formed  all  those  delusions  of  Satan,  which  those  are  carried  away 
witli,  who  are  under  the  influence  of  false  religion,  and  counter- 


234  FOURTH  SIGN  OF 

feit  graces  and  affections.  Here  is  the  devil's  grand  lurking  place, 
the  very  nest  of  foul  and  delusive  spirits.  It  is  very  much  to  be 
doubted,  whether  the  devil  can  come  at  the  soul  of  man  at  all  to 
affect  it,  or  to  excite  any  thought  or  motion,  or  produce  any  effect 
whatsoever  in  it,  any  other  way  than  by  the  phantasy;  which  is 
that  power  of  the  soul  by  which  it  receives,  and  is  the  subject  of 
the  species  or  ideas  of  outward  and  sensible  things.  As  to  the 
laws  and  means  which  the  Creator  has  established,  for  the  inter- 
course and  communication  of  unbodied  spirits,  we  know  nothing 
about  them;  we  do  not  know  by  what  medium  they  manifest  their 
thoughts  to  each  other,  or  excite  thoughts  in  each  other.  But  as 
to  spirits  that  are  united  to  bodies,  those  bodies  God  has  united 
them  to,  are  their  medium  of  communication.  They  have  no 
other  medium  of  acting  on  other  creatures,  or  being  acted  on  by 
them,  than  the  body.  Therefore  it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  Sa^ 
tan  can  excite  any  thought,  or  produce  any  effect  in  the  soul  of 
man  any  otherwise  than  by  some  motion  of  the  animal  spirits, 
or  by  causing  some  motion  or  alteration  in  something  which 
appertains  to  the  body.  There  is  this  reason  to  think  that  the 
devil  can  not  produce  thoughts  in  the  soul  immediately,  or  any 
other  way  than  by  the  medium  of  the  body,  viz.  that  he  can 
not  immediately  see  or  know  the  thoughts  of  the  soul:  it  is 
abundantly  declared  in  the  scripture  to  be  peculiar  to  the  omni- 
scient God  to  do  that.  But  it  is  not  likely  that  the  devil  can  im- 
mediately produce  an  effect,  which  is  out  of  the  reach  of  his  im- 
mediate view.  It  seems  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  his  imme- 
diate agency  should  be  out  of  his  own  sight,  or  that  it  should  be 
impossible  for  him  to  see  what  he  himself  immediately  does.  Is 
it  not  unreasonable  to  suppose  that  any  spirit  or  intelligent  agent 
should,  by  the  act  of  his  will,  produce  effects  according  to  his  un- 
derstanding or  agreeable  to  his  own  thoughts,  and  that  immedi- 
ately, and  yet  the  effects  produced  be  beyond  the  reach  of  his  un- 
derstanding, or  where  he  can  have  no  immediate  perception  or 
discerning  at  all?  But  if  this  be  so,  that  the  devil  can  not  produce 
thoughts  in  the  soul  immediately,  or  any  other  way  than  by  the 
animal  spirits,  or  by  the  body,  then  it  follows,  that  he  never  brings 
to  pass  any  thing  in  the  soul  but  by  the  imagination  or  phantasy, 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  235 

or  by  exciting  external  ideas.  For  we  know  that  alterations  in 
the  body  do  immediately  excite  no  other  sort  of  ideas  in  the  mind 
but  external  ideas,  or  ideas  of  the  outward  senses,  or  ideas  which 
are  of  the  same  outward  nature.  As  to  reflection,  abstraction, 
reasoning,  &c.  and  those  thoughts  and  inward  motions  which  are 
the  fruits  of  these  acts  of  the  mind,  they  are  not  the  next  effects 
of  impressions  on  the  body.  So  that  it  must  be  only  by  the  ima- 
gination that  Satan  has  access  to  the  soul,  to  tempt  and  delude  it, 
or  suggest  any  thing  to  it.f  And  this  seems  to  be  the  reason  why 
persons  that  are  under  the  disease  of  melancholy,  are  commonly 
so  visibly  and  remarkably  subject  to  the  suggestions  and  tempta- 
tions of  Satan;  that  being  a  disease  which  peculiarly  affects  the 

f  "  The  imagination  is  that  room  of  the  soul  wherein  the  devil  doth  often 
appear.  Indeed  (to  speak  exactly)  the  devil  hath  no  efficient  power  over 
the  rational  part  of  a  man;  he  can  not  change  the  will,  he  can  not  alter  the 
heart  of  a  man.  So  that  the  utmost  he  can  do,  in  tempting  a  man  to  sin,  is 
by  suasion  and  suggestion  only.  But  how  doth  the  devil  do  this?  Even  by 
working  upon  the  imagination.  He  observeth  the  temper  and  bodily  con- 
stitution of  a  man;  and  thereupon  suggests  to  his  fancy,  and  injects  his  fiery 
darts  thereinto,  by  which  the  mind  will  come  to  be  wrought  upon.  The 
devil  then,  though  he  hath  no  imperious  efficacy  over  thy  will,  yet  because 
he  can  thus  stir  and  move  thy  imagination,  and  thou  being  naturally  desti- 
tute of  grace,  canst  not  withstand  these  suggestions:  hence  it  is  that  any  sin 
in  thy  imagination,  though  but  in  the  outward  works  of  the  soul,  yet  doth 
quickly  lay  hold  on  all.  And  indeed,  by  this  means,  do  arise  those  horrible 
delusions  that  are  in  many  erroneous  ways  of  religion;  all  is  because  their 
imaginations  are  corrupted.  Yea,  how  often  are  these  diabolical  delusions 
of  the  imagination  taken  for  the  gracious  operations  of  God's  Spirit.''  It  is 
from  hence  that  many  have  pretended  to  enthusiasms.  They  leave  the  scrip- 
tures, and  wholly  attend  to  what  they  perceive  and  feel  within  them." — 
Burgets  on  Original  Sin,  p.  369. 

The  great  Turretine,  speaking  on  that  question.  What  is  the  power  of 
angels?  says,  "  As  to  bodies,  there  is  no  doubt  but  that  they  can  do  a  great 
deal  upon  all  sorts  of  elementary  and  sublunary  bodies,  to  move  them  lo- 
cally, and  variously  to  agitate  them.  It  is  also  certain,  that  they  can  act  upon 
the  external  and  internal  sense,  to  excite  them  or  to  bind  them.  But  as  to 
the  rational  soul  itself,  they  can  do  nothing  immediately  upon  that;  for  to 
God  alone,  who  knows  and  searches  the  hearts,  and  who  has  them  in  his 
hands,  does  it  also  appertain  to  bow  and  move  them  whithersoever  he  will. 
But  angels  can  act  upon  the  rational  soul,  only  mediately,  by  imaginations." 
Theolog.  Elench.  Loc.  VII.  Quest.  7. 


236  FOURTH  SIGN  OP 

animal  spirits,  and  is  attended  with  weakness  of  that  part  of  the 
body  which  is  the  fountain  of  the  animal  spirits,  even  the  brain, 
which  is,  as  it  were,  the  seat  of  the  phantasy.  It  is  by  impres- 
sions made  on  the  brain,  that  any  ideas  are  excited  in  the  mind, 
by  the  motion  of  the  animal  spirits,  or  any  changes  made  in  the 
body.  The  brain  being  thus  weakened  and  diseased,  it  is  less 
under  the  command  of  the  higher  faculties  of  the  soul,  and  yields 
the  more  easily  to  extrinsic  impressions,  and  is  overpowered  by 
the  disordered  motions  of  the  animal  spirits;  and  so  the  devil  has 
greater  advantage  to  affect  the  mind  by  working  on  the  imagina- 
tion. And  thus  Satan,  when  he  casts  those  horrid  suggestions  in- 
to the  minds  of  many  melancholy  persons,  in  which  they  have  no 
hand  themselves,  he  does  it  by  exciting  imaginary  ideas,  either  of 
some  dreadful  words  or  sentences,  or  other  horrid  outward  ideas. 
And  when  he  tempts  other  persons  who  are  not  melancholy,  he 
does  it  by  presenting  to  the  imagination,  in  a  lively  and  alluring 
manner,  the  objects  of  their  lusts,  or  by  exciting  ideas  of  words, 
and  so  by  them  exciting  thoughts;  or  by  promoting  an  imagina- 
tion of  outward  actions,  events,  circumstances,  &c.  Innumerable 
are  the  ways  by  which  the  mind  might  be  led  on  to  all  kind  of 
evil  thoughts,  by  exciting  external  ideas  in  the  imagination. 

If  persons  keep  no  guard  at  these  avenues  of  Satan,  by  which  he 
has  access  to  the  soul,  to  tempt  and  delude  it,  they  will  be  likely  to 
have  enough  of  him.  And  especially,  if  instead  of  guarding  against 
him,  they  lay  themselves  open  to  him,  and  seek  and  invite  him, 
because  he  appears  as  an  angel  of  light,  and  counterfeits  the  illu- 
minations and  graces  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  by  inward  whispers, 
and  immediate  suggestions  of  facts  and  events,  pleasant  voices, 
beautiful  images,  and  other  impressions  on  the  imagination.  There 
are  many  who  are  deluded  by  such  things,  and  are  lifted  up  with 
them,  and  seek  after  them,  that  have  a  continued  course  of  them, 
and  can  have  them  almost  when  they  will;  and  especially  when 
their  pride  and  vain  glory  has  most  occasion  for  them,  to  make  a 
show  of  them  before  company.  It  is  with  them,  something  as  it  is 
with  those  who  are  professors  of  the  art  of  telling  where  lost  things 
are  to  be  found,  by  impressions  made  on  their  imaginations;  they 


:\ 


GRACIOUS   AFFECTIONS.  231 

laying  themselves  open  to  the  devil,  he  is  always  at  hand  to  give 
them  the  desired  impression. 

Before  I  finish  what  I  would  say  on  this  head  of  imaginations, 
counterfeiting  spiritual  light,  and  affections  arising  from  them,  I 
would  renewedly  (to  prevent  misunderstanding  of  what  has  been 
said)  desire  it  may  be  observed,  that  I  am  far  from  determining 
that  no  affections  are  spiritual  which  are  attended  with  imaginary 
ideas.  Such  is  the  nature  of  man,  that  he  can  scarcely  think 
of  any  thing  intensely,  without  some  kind  of  outward  ideas. 
They  arise  and  interpose  themselves  unavoidably,  in  the  course 
of  a  man's  thoughts;  though  oftentimes  they  are  very  confused, 
and  are  not  what  the  mind  regards.  When  the  mind  is  much 
engaged,  and  the  thoughts  intense,  oftentimes  the  imagination 
is  more  strong,  and  the  outward  idea  more  lively,  especially 
in  persons  of  some  constitutions  of  body.  But  there  is  a  great  dif- 
ference between  these  two  things,  viz.  lively  imaginations  arising 
from  strong  affections,  and  strong  affections  arising  from  lively 
imaginations.  The  former  may  be,  and  doubtless  often  is,  in 
case  of  truly  gracious  affections.  The  affections  do  not  arise  from 
the  imagination,  nor  have  any  dependence  upon  it;  but,  on  the 
contrary,  the  imagination  is  only  the  accidental  effect,  or  conse- 
quent of  the  affection,  through  the  infirmity  of  humun  nature. 
But  when  the  latter  is  the  case,  as  it  often  is,  that  the  affection 
arises  from  the  imagination,  and  is  built  upon  it,  as  its  foundation, 
instead  of  spiritual  illumination  or  discovery,  then  is  the  affection, 
however  elevated,  worthless  and  vain.  And  this  is  the  drift  of 
what  has  been  now  said,  of  impressions  on  the  imagination.  Hav- 
ing observed  this,  I  proceed  to  another  mark  of  gracious  affec- 
tions. 

V.    Truly  gracious  affections  are   attended  with  a  reasonable 
and  spiritual  conviction  of  the  judgment,  of  the  reality  and  cer-  ^^^j 
tainty  of  divine  things. 

This  seems  to  be  implied  in  the  text  that  was  laid  as  the  foun- 
dation of  this  discourse."     "Whom  having  not  seen,  yc  love;  in 
whom,  though  now  ye  see  him  not,  yet  believing,  ye  rejoice  with 
joy  unspeakable,  and  full  of  glorv," 
2g 


\ 


2S8  FIFTH  SIGN  OF 

All  those  who  are  truly  gracious  persons  liave  a  solid,  full, 
thorough  and  effectual  conviction  of  the  truth  of  the  great  things 
of  the  gospel;  I  mean,  that  they  no  longer  halt  between  two 
opinions;  the  great  doctrines  of  the  gospel  cease  to  be  any  longer 
doubtful  things,  or  matters  of  opinion,  which,  though  probable,  are 
yet  disputable;  but  with  them,  they  are  points  settled  and  deter- 
mined, as  undoubted  and  indisputable;  so  that  they  are  not  afraid 
to  venture  their  all  upon  their  truth.  Their  conviction  is  an 
effectual  conviction;  so  that  the  great,  spiritual,  mysterious,  and 
invisible  things  of  the  gospel,  have  the  influence  of  real  and  cer- 
tain things  upon  them;  they  have  the  weight  and  power  of  real 
things  in  their  hearts;  and  accordingly  rule  in  their  affections, 
and  govern  them  through  the  course  of  their  lives.  With  respect 
to  Christ's  being  the  Son  of  God,  and  Saviour  of  the  world,  and 
the  great  things  he  has  revealed  concerning  himself,  and  his 
Father,  and  another  world,  they  have  not  only  a  predominating, 
opinion  that  these  things  are  true,  and  so  yield  their  assent,  as 
they  do  in  many  other  matters  of  doubtful  speculation;  but  they 
see  that  it  is  really  so;  their  eyes  are  opened,  so  that  they  see 
that  really  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God.  And 
as  to  the  things  which  Christ  has  revealed,  of  God's  eternal  pur- 
poses and  designs,  concerning  fallen  man,  and  the  glorious  and 
everlasting  things  prepared  for  the  saints  in  another  world,  they 
see  that  they  are  so  indeed;  and  therefore  these  things  are  of 
great  weight  with  them,  and  have  a  mighty  power  upon  their 
hearts,  and  influence  over  their  practice,  in  some  measure  an- 
swerable to  their  infinite  importance. 

That  all  true  Christians  have  such  a  kind  of  conviction  of  the 
truth  of  the  things  of  the  gospel  is  abundantly  manifest  from  the 
holy  scriptures.  I  will  mention  a  few  places  of  many,  Matt.  xvi. 
15,  16,  17,  "  But  whom  say  ye  that  I  am?  Simon  Peter  answer- 
ed and  said.  Thou  art  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God.  And 
Jesus  answered  and  said  unto  him,  Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Bar- 
jona: — My  Father  which  is  in  heaven  hath  revealed  it  unto  thee." 
Jolaj  vi.  68,  69,  "  Thou  hast  tlie  words  of  eternal  life.  And  we 
believe  and  are  sure  that  thou  ajt  that  Christ,  the  Son  of  the iiv- 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  239 

ing  God."  John  xvii.  6,  7, 8,  "  I  have  manifested  thy  name  unto 
the  men  which  thou  gavest  me  out  of  the  world.  Now  they  have 
known  that  all  things  whatsoever  thou  hast  given  me,  are  of  thee. 
For  I  have  given  unto  them  the  words  which  thou  gavest  me;  and 
they  have  received  them,  and  have  known  surely  that  I  came  out 
from  thee,  and  they  have  believed  that  thou  didst  send  me."  Acts 
viii.  37,  "If  thou  believest  with  all  thy  heart  thou  mayest."  2 
Cor.  iv.  11,  12, 13,  14,  "We  which  live,  are  always  delivered 
unto  death  for  Jesus'  sake — Death  worketh  in  us — We  having 
the  spirit  of  faith,  according  as  it  is  written,  I  believed,  and  there- 
fore have  I  spoken;  we  also  believe,  and  therefore  speak;  know- 
ing, that  he  which  raised  up  the  Lord  Jesus,  shall  raise  up  us  also 
by  Jesus,  and  shall  present  us  with  you."  Together  with  ver.  16. 
"  For  which  cause  we  faint  not."  And  ver.  18.  "  While  we  look 
not  at  the  things  which  are  seen,"  &,c.  And  chap.  v.  1.  "  For  we 
know,  that  if  our  earthly  house  of  this  tabernacle  were  dissolved, 
Tve  have  a  building  of  God."  And  ver.  6,  7,  8,  "Therefore  w« 
are  always  confident,  knowing  that  whilst  we  are  at  home  in  the 
body,  we  are  absent  from  the  Lord;  for  we  walk  by  faith,  not  by 
sight.  We  are  confident,  I  say,  and  willing  rather  to  be  absent 
from  the  body,  and  present  with  the  Lord."  2  Tim.  i.  12,  "For 
the  which  cause  I  also  suffer  these  things;  nevertheless  I  am  not 
ashamed;  for  I  know  whom  I  have  believed,  and  I  am  persuaded 
that  he  is  able  to  keep  that  which  I  have  committed  unto  him 
against  that  day."  Heb.  iii.  6,  "Whose  house  are  we,  if  we 
hold  fast  the  confidence,  and  the  rejoicing  of  the  hope  firm  unto 
the  end."  Heb.  xi.  1,  "Now  faith  is  the  substance  of  things 
hoped  for,  and  the  evidence  of  things  not  seen;"  together  with 
that  whole  chapter.  1  John  iv.  13,  14,  15, 16,  "  Hereby  know 
we  that  we  dwell  in  him,  and  he  in  us,  because  he  hath  given  us 
of  his  Spirit.  And  we  have  seen,  and  ^9  testify,  that  the  Father 
sent  the  Son  to  be  the  Saviour  of  the  world.  Whosoever  shall 
confess  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God,  God  dwelleth  in  him,  and 
he  in  God.  And  we  have  known  and  believed  the  love  that  God 
hath  to  us."  Chap,  v.  4.  5,  "  For  whatsoever  is  born  of  God, 
overcometh  the  world;  and  this  is  the  victory  that  overcometh  the 


J- 


240  FIFTH  SIGN  OF 

world,  even  our  faith.  Who  is  he  that  overcometh  the  world, 
but  he  that  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God." 

Therefore  truly  gracious  affections  are  attended  with  such  a 
kind  of  conviction  and  persuasion  of  the  truth  of  the  things  of  the 
gospel,  and  sight  of  their  evidence  and  reality,  as  these  and  other 
scriptures  speak  of. 

There  are  many  religious  affections  which  are  not  attended 
with  such  a  conviction  of  the  judgment.  There  are  many  appre- 
hensions and  ideas  which  some  have  that  they  call  divine  disco- 
veries, which  are  affecting,  but  not  convincing.  Though  for  a 
little  while  they  may  seem  to  be  more  persuaded  of  the  truth  of 
the  thmgs  of  religion  than  they  used  to  be,  and  may  yield  a  for- 
ward assent,  like  many  of  Christ's  hearers,  who  believe  for  a 
while;  yet  they  have  no  thorough  and  effectual  conviction;  nor  is 
there  any  great  abiding  change  in  them  in  this  respect,  that  whereas 
formerly  they  did  not  realize  the  great  things  of  the  gospel,  now  these 
things,  with  regard  to  reality  and  certainty,  appear  new  to  them, 
and  they  behold  them  quite  in  another  view  than  they  used  to  do. 
There  are  many  persons  who  have  been  exceedingly  raised  with 
religious  affections,  and  think  they  have  been  converted,  they  do 
[not  go  about  the  world  any  more  convinced  of  the  truth  of  the 
gospel  than  they  used  to  be,  or,  at  least,  there  is  no  remarkable 
alteration:  they  are  not  men  who  live  under  the  influence  and 
power  of  a  realizing  conviction  of  the  infinite  and  eternal  things 
which  the  gospel  reveals;  if  they  were  it  would  be  impossible  for 
them  to  live  as  they  do.  Because  their  affections  are  not  attend- 
ed with  a  thorough  conviction  of  the  mind,  they  are  not  at  all  to 
be  depended  on;  however  great  a  show  and  noise  they  make,  it  is 
like  the  blaze  of  tow,  or  crackling  of  thorns,  or  like  the  forward 
flourishing  blade  on  stony  ground,  that  has  no  root  nor  deepness 
of  earth  to  maintain  its  life. 

Some  persons  under  high  affections,  and  a  confident  persuasion 
of  their  good  estate,  have  that  which  they  very  ignorantly  call  a 
seeing  the  truth  of  the  word  of  God,  and  which  is  very  far  from 
it,  after  this  manner;  they  have  some  text  of  scripture  coming  to 
their  minds  in  a  sudden  and  extraordinary  manner,  immediately 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  241 

declaring  unto  them  (as  they  suppose)  that  their  sins  are  forgiven, 
or  that  God  loves  them,  and  will  save  them;  and  it  may  be  have 
a  chain  of  scriptures  coming  one  after  another  to  the  same  pur- 
pose, and  they  are  convinced  that  it  is  truth;  i,  e.  they  are  confi- 
dent that  it  is  certainly  so,  that  their  sins  are  forgiven,  and  God 
does  love  them,  &.c. — they  say  they  know  it  is  so,  and  when  the 
words  of  scripture  are  suggested  to  them,  and,  as  they  suppose, 
immediately  spoken  to  them  by  God,  in  this  meaning  they  are 
ready  to  cry  out,  Truth,  truth!  It  is  certainly  so!  The  word  of 
God  is  true!  And  this  they  call  a  seeing  the  truth  of  the  word  of 
God.  Whereas  the  whole  of  their  faith  amounts  to  no  more  than 
only  a  strong  confidence  of  their  own  good  estate,  and  so  a  con- 
fidence that  these  words  are  true  which  they  suppose  tell  them 
they  are  in  a  good  estate:  when,  indeed,  (as  was  shown  before) 
there  is  no  scripture  which  declares  that  any  person  is  in  a  good 
estate  directly,  or  any  other  way  than  by  consequence.  So  that 
this,  instead  of  being  a  real  sight  of  the  truth  of  the  word  of  God, 
is  a  sight  of  nothing  but  a  phantom,  and  is  wholly  a  delusion. 
Truly  to  see  the  truth  of  the  word  of  God,  is  to  see  the  truth  of 
the  gospel;  wkich  is  the  glorious  doctrine  the  word  of  God  con- 
tains concerning  God  and  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  way  of  salvation 
by  him,  and  the  world  of  glory  that  he  is  entered  hito  and  pur- 
chased for  all  them  who  believe,  and  not  a  revelation  that  such  i^  X^ 
and  such  particular  persons  are  true  Christians  and  shall  go  to 
heaven.  Therefore  those  affections  which  arise  from  no  other 
persuasion  of  the  truth  of  the  word  of  God  than  this,  arise  from 
delusion  and  not  true  conviction,  and,  consequently,  are  them- 
selves delusive  and  vain. 

But  if  the  religious  affections  that  persons  have  do  indeed  arise 
from  a  strong  persuasion  of  the  truth  of  the  christian  religion, 
their  affections  are  not  the  better,  unless  their  persuasion  be  a  rea-  - ' 
sonable  persuasion  or  conviction.  By  a  reasonable  conviction,  I 
mean  a  conviction  founded  on  real  evidence,  or  upon  that  which 
is  a  good  reason,  or  just  ground  of  conviction.  Men  may  have 
a  strong  persuasion  that  the  christian  religion  is  true,  when  their 
persuasion  is  not  at  all  built  on  evidence,  but  altogether  on  edu- 


^42  FIFTH  SIGN  OF 

cation  and  the  opinion  of  others;  as  many  Mahometans  are  strongly 
persuaded  of  the  truth  of  the  Mahometan  religion,  because  their 
fathers,  and  neighbours,  and  nation  believe  it.  Thatbelief  of  the 
truth  of  the  christian  religion,  which  is  built  on  the  very  same 
grounds  with  a  Mahometan's  belief  of  the  Mahometan  religion, 
is  the  same  sort  of  belief.  And  though  the  thing  believed  hap- 
pens to  be  better,  yet  that  does  not  make  the  belief  itself  to  be  of 

'  j  a  better  sort;  for  though  the  thing  believed  happens  to  be  true^ 

"I  yet  the  belief  of  it  is  not  owing  to  this  truth,  but  to  education. 
So  that  as  the  conviction  is  no  better  than  the  Mahometan's  con- 
viction, so  the  affections  that  flow  from  it  are  no  better  in  them- 
selves than  the  religious  affections  of  Mahometans. 

But  if  that  belief  of  christian  doctrines,  which  persons'  affec- 
tions arise  from,  be  not  merely  from  education;  but,  indeed,  from 
reasons  and  arguments  which  are  offered,  it  will  not  from  thence 
necessarily  follow  that  their  affections  are  truly  gracious:  for,  in 

'  order  to  that,  it  is  requisite  not  only  that  the  belief  which  their 
affections  arise  from  should  be  a  reasonable,  but  also  a  spiritual 
belief  or  conviction.  I  suppose  that  none  will  doubt  but  that 
some  natural  men  do  yield  a  kind  of  assent  of  their  judgments  to 
the  truth  of  the  Christian  religion,  from  the  rational  proofs  or  ar- 
guments that  are  offered  to  evince  it.  Judas,  without  doubt, 
thought  Jesus  to  be  the  Messiah  from  the  things  which  he  saw 
and  heard;  but  yet  all  along  was  a  devil.  So  in  John  ii.  23,  24^ 
25,  we  read  of  many  that  believed  in  Christ's  name  when  they 
saw  the  miracles  that  he  did,  whom  yet  Christ  knew  had  not  that 
within  them  which  was  to  be  depended  on.  So  Simon  the  sor- 
cerer believed  when  he  beheld  the  miracles  and  signs  which  were 
done;  but  yet  remained  in  the  gall  of  bitterness  and  bond  of  ini- 
quity, Acts  viii.  1 3,  23.  And  if  there  is  such  a  belief  or  assent 
of  the  judgment  in  some  natural  men,  none  can  doubt  but  that 
religious  affections  may  arise  from  that  assent  or  belief;  as  we  read 
of  some  who  believed  for  a  while,  tliat  were  greatly  affected,  and 
anon  with  joy  received  the  word. 

It  is  evident  that  there  is  sUch  a  thing  as  a  spiritual  belief  or 

'  conviction  of  the  truth  of  the  things  of  the  gospel,  or  a  belief  that 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  243 

is  peculiar  to  those  who  are  spiritual,  or  who  are  regenerated, 
and  have  the  Spirit  of  God,  in  his  holy  communications,  and 
dwelling  in  them  as  a  vital  principle.  So  that  the  conviction 
they  have,  does  not  only  differ  from  that  which  natural  men  have, 
in  its  concomitants,  in  that  it  is  accompanied  with  good  works; 
but  the  belief  itself  is  diverse,  the  assent  and  conviction  of  the 
judgment  is  of  a  kind  peculiar  to  those  who  are  spiritual,  and 
that  which  natural  men  are  wholly  destitute  of.  This  is  evident 
by  the  scripture,  if  any  thing  at  all  is  so;  John  xvii.  8,  "  They 
havebelieved  that  thou  didst  send  me."  Tit.  i.  1,  "  According  ta 
the  faith  of  God's  elect,  and  the  acknowledging  of  the  truth 
which  is  after  godliness."  John  xvi.  27,  "The  Father  himself 
loveth  you,  because  ye  have  loved  me,  and  have  believed  that  I 
came  out  from  God."  1  John  iv.  15,  "Whosoever  shall  confess 
that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God,  God  dwelleth  in  him,  and  he  in 
God."  Chap,  v,  1,  "Whosoever  believeth  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ, 
is  born  of  God."  Ver.  10,  "  He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  of  God, 
hath  the  witness  in  himself." 

What  a  spiritual  conviction  ofthejudgmentis,  we  are  natural- 
ly led  to  determine  from  what  has  been  said  already,  under  the 
former  head  of  a  spiritual  understanding.  The  conviction  of  the 
judgment  arises  from  the  illumination  of  the  understanding;  the 
passing  of  a  right  judgment  on  things,  depends  on  having  a  right 
apprehension  or  idea  of  things.  And  therefore  it  follows,  that  a 
spiritual  conviction  of  the  truth  of  the  great  things  of  the  gospel, 
is  such  a  conviction,  as  arises  from  having  a  spiritual  view  or  ap- 
prehension of  those  things  in  the  mind.  And  this  is  also  evident 
from  the  scripture,  which  often  represents,  that  a  saving  belief  of 
the  reality  and  divinity  of  the  things  proposed  and  exhibited  to  us 
in  the  gospel,  is  from  the  Spirit  of  God's  enlightening  the  mind, 
to  have  right  apprehensions  of  the  nature  of  those  things,  and  so 
as  it  were  unveiling  things,  or  revealing  them,  and  enabling  the 
mind  to  view  them  and  see  them  as  they  are.  Luke  x.  21,22, 
"  I  thank  thee,  0  Father,  Lord  of  heaven  and  earth,  that  thou 
hast  hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and  prudent,  and  hast  reveal- 
ed them  unto  babes:  even  so.  Father,  for  so  it   seemed  good  in 


244  FIFTH  SIGN  OF 

thy  sight.  All  things  are  delivered  unto  me  of  my  Father:  and 
no  man  knoweth  who  the  Son  is,  but  the  Father;  and  who  the 
Father  is,  but  the  Son,  and  he  to  whom  the  Son  will  reveal  him." 
John  vi.  40,  "  And  this  is  the  will  of  him  that  sent  me,  that  every 
one  which  seeth  the  Son,  and  believeth  on  him,  may  have  ever- 
lasting life,"  Where  it  is  plain,  that  true  faith  arises  from  a 
spiritual  sight  of  Christ.  And  John  xvii,  6,  7,  8,  "  I  have  man- 
ifested thy  name  unto  the  men  which  thou  gavest  me  out  of  the 
world.  Now  they  have  known  that  all  things  whatsoever  thou 
hast  given  me,  are  of  thee.  For  I  have  given  unto  them  the  words 
which  thou  gavest  me;  and  they  have  received  them,  and  have 
known  surely  that  I  came  out  from  thee,  and  they  have  believed 
that  thou  didst  send  rae."  Where  Christ's  manifesting  God's 
name  to  the  disciples,  or  giving  them  a  true  apprehension  and  view 
of  divine  things,  was  that  whereby  they  knew  that  Christ's  doc- 
trine was  of  God,  and  that  Christ  himself  was  of  him,  and  was 
sent  by  him;  Matth.  xvi,  16,  17,  "Simon  Peter  said,  thou  art 
Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living  God.  And  Jesus  answered  and  said 
unto  him.  Blessed  art  thou,  Simon  Barjona:  for  flesh  and  blood 
hath  not  revealed  it  unto  thee,  but  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven." 
1  John  V.  10,  "He  that  believeth  on  the  Son  of  God,  hath  the 
witness  in  himself."  Gal.  i.  14,  15,  16,  "Being  more  exceedingly 
zealous  of  the  traditions  of  my  fathers.  But  when  it  pleased 
God,  who  separated  me  from  my  mother's  womb,  and  called  me 
by  his  grace,  to  reveal  his  Son  in  me,  that  I  might  preach  him 
among  the  heathen;  immediately  I,  conferred  not  with  flesh  and 
blood." 

If  it  be  so,  that  that  is  a  spiritual  conviction  of  the  divinity  and 
reality  of  the  things  exhibited  in  the  gospel,  which  arises  from  a 
spiritual  understanding  of  those  things;  I  have  shown  already 
what  that  is,  viz,  a  sense  and  taste  of  the  divine,  supreme,  and 
,holy  excellency  and  beauty  of  those  things.  So  that  then  is  the 
mind  spiritually  convinced' of  the  divinity  and  truth  of  the  great 
things  of  the  gospel,  when  that  conviction  arises,  either  directly 
or  remotely,  from  such  a  sense  or  view  of  their  divine  excellency 
and  glory  as  is  there  exhibited.     This   clearly  follows,  from 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  245 

iliingsthat  have  been  already  said:  and  for  this  the  scripture  is 
very  plain  and  express,  2  Cor.  iv.  3 — 6,  "  But  if  our  gospel  be 
hid,  it  is  hid  to  them  that  are  lost;  in  whom  the  God  of  this 
world  hath  blinded  the  minds  of  them  that  believe  not,  lest  the 
light  of  the  glorious  gospel  of  Christ,  who  is  the  image  of  God, 
should  shine  unto  them.  For  we  preach  not  ourselves,  but  Christ 
Jesus  the  Lord;  and  ourselves  your  servants  for  Jesus'  sake.  For 
God,  who  commanded  the  light  to  shine  out  of  darkness,  hath 
shined  in  our  hearts,  to  give  the  light  of  the  knowledge  of  the 
glory  of  God,  in  the  face  of  Jesus  Christ."  Together  with  the 
last  verse  of  the  foregoing  chapter,  which  introduces  this,  "  but 
we  all,  with  open  face,  beholding  as  in  a  glass  the  glory  of  the 
Lord,  are  changed  into  the  same  image,  from  glory  to  glory,  even 
as  by  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord."  Nothing  can  be  more  evident, 
than  that  a  saving  belief  of  the  gospel  is  here  spoken  of,  by  the 
apostle,  as  arising  from  the  mind's  being  enlightened  to  behold 
the  divine  glory  of  the  things  it  exhibits. 

This  view  or  sense  of  the  divine  glory,  and  unparalleled  beauty 
of  the  things  exhibited  to  us  in  the  gospel,  has  a  tendency  to  con- 
vince the  mind  of  their  divinity,  two  ways;  directly,  and  more 
indirectly  and  remotely.  1 .  A  view  of  this  divine  glory  directly 
convinces  the  mind  of  the  divinity  of  these  things,  as  this  glory  is 
in  itself  a  direct,  clear  and  all-conquering  evidence  of  it;  espe- 
cially when  clearly  discovered,  or  when  this  supernatural  sense 
is  given  in  a  good  degree. 

He  that  has  his  judgment  thus  directly  convinced  and  assured 
of  the  divinity  of  the  things  of  the  gospel,  by  a  clear  view  of 
their  divine  glory,  has  a  reasonable  conviction;  his  belief  and 
assurance  is  altogether  agreeable  to  reason;  because  the  divine 
glory  and  beauty  of  divine  things  is  in  itself,  real  evidence  of  their 
divinity,  and  the  most  direct  and  strong  evidence.  He  that  truly 
sees  the  divine,  transcendent,  supreme  glory  of  those  things  which 
are  divine,  does  as  it  were  know  their  divinity  intuitively:  he  not 
only  argues  that  they  are  divine,  but  he  sees  that  they  are  divine; 
he  sees  that  in  them  wherein  divinity  chietly  consists,  for  in  this 

glory,  which  is  so  vastlv  and  inexpressibly  distinguished  from  the 
2h 


246  PIPTH    SIGN    OF 

glory  of  artificial  things,  and  all  other  glory,  does  mainly  consist 
the  true  notion  of  divinity.  God  is  God,  and  distinguished  from 
all  other  beings,  and  exalted  above  them,  chiefly  by  his  divine 
beauty,  which  is  infinitely  diverse  from  all  other  beauty.  They 
therefore  that  see  the  stamp  of  this  glory  in  divine  things,  they 
see  divinity  in  them,  they  see  God  in  them,  and  so  see  them  to 
be  divine;  because  they  see  that  in  them  wherein  the  truest  idea 
of  divinity  does  consist.  Thus  a  soul  may  have  a  kind  of  intui- 
tive knowledge  of  the  divinity  of  the  things  exhibited  in  the 
gospel;  not  that  he  judges  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel  to  be  from 
God,  without  any  argument  or  deduction  at  all;  but  it  is  without 
any  long  chain  of  arguments;  the  argument  is  but  one,  and  the 
^S.  evidence  direct;  the  mind  ascends  to  the  truth  of  the  gospel  but 
'by  one  step,  and  that  is  its  divine  glory. 

It  wortid  be  very  strange  if  any  professing  Christian  should  de- 
ny it  to  be  possible  that  there  should  be  an  excellency  in  divine 
things,  which  is  so  transcendent,  and  exceedingly  different  from 
what  is  in  other  things,  that  if  it  were  seen  would  easily  distinguish 
them.  We  can  not  rationally  doubt,  but  that  things  that  are  di- 
vine, that  appertain  to  the  Supreme  Being,  are  vastly  different  from 
things  that  are  human:  that  there  is  a  godlike,  high  and  glorious 
excellency  in  them,  that  does  so  distinguish  them  from  the  things 
which  are  of  men,  that  the  difference  is  ineffable;  and  therefore 
such  as,  if  seen,  will  have  a  most  convincing,  satisfying  influence 
upon  any  one,  that  they  are  what  they  are,  viz.  divine.  Doubt- 
less there  is  that  glory  and  excellency  in  the  divine  Being,  by 
which  he  is  so  infinitely  distinguished  from  all  other  beings,  that 
if  it  were  seen,  he  might  be  known  by  it.  It  would  therefore  be 
very  unreasonable  to  deny  that  it  is  possible  for  God  to  give  mani- 
festations of  this  distinguishing  excellency,  in  things  by  which  he 
is  pleased  to  make  himself  known;  and  that  this  distinguishing 
excellency  may  be  clearly  seen  in  them.  There  are  natural  ex- 
cellencies that  are  very  evidently  distinguishing  of  the  subjects  or 
authors,  to  any  one  who  beholds  them.  How  vastly  is  the  speech 
of  an  understanding  man  different  from  that  of  a  little  child!  and 
how  greatly  distinguished  is  the  speech  of  some  men  of  g^eat  ge- 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  247 

nius,  as  Homer,  Cicero,  Milton,  Locke,  Addison  and  others  from 
that  of  many  other  understanding  men!  There  are  no  limits  to  be 
set  to  the  degrees  of  manifestation  of  mental  excellency,  that  there 
may  be  in  speech.  But  the  appearances  of  the  natural  perfec- 
tions of  God,  in  the  manifestations  he  makes  of  himself,  may 
doubtless  be  unspeakably  more  evidently  distinguishing  than  the 
appearances  of  those  excellencies  of  worms  of  the  dust,  in  which 
they  differ  one  from  another.  He  that  is  well  acquainted  with 
mankind  and  their  works,  by  viewing  the  sun  may  know  it 
is  no  human  work.  And  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  when 
Christ  comes  at  the  end  of  the  world,  in  the  glory  of  his  Father, 
it  will  be  with  such  inefFable  appearances  of  divinity,  as  will  leave 
no  doubt  to  the  inliabitants  of  the  world,  even  the  most  obstinate 
infidels,  that  he  who  appears  is  a  divine  person.  But  above  all, 
do  the  manifestations  of  the  moral  and  spiritual  glory  of  the  divine 
Being  (which  is  the  proper  beauty  of  the  divinity)  bring  their 
own  evidence,  and  tend  to  assure  the  heart.  Thus  the  disciples 
"vvere  assured  that  Jesus  was  the  son  of  God,  "  for  they  beheld  his; 
glory,  as  the  glory  of  the  only  begotten  of  the  Father,  full  of  grace 
and  truth,"  John  i,  14.  When  Christ  appeared  in  the  glory  of 
his  transfiguration  to  his  disciples  with  that  outward  glory  to  their 
bodily  eyes,  which  was  a  sweet  and  admirable  symbol  and  sem- 
blance of  his  spiritual  glory,  together  with  his  spiritual  glory  it- 
self, manifested  to  their  minds;  the  manifestation  of  glory  was 
such  as  did  perfectly  and  with  good  reason,  assure  them  of  his 
divinity;  as  appears  by  what  one  of  them,  viz.  the  apostle  Peter, 
says  concerning  it,  2  Pet.  i.  16,  17,  18,  "  For  we  have  not  fol- 
lowed cunningly  devised  fables,  when  we  made  known  unto  you 
the  power  and  coming  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  but  were  eye 
witnesses  of  his  majesty.  For  he  received  from  God  the  Father, 
honour  and  glory,  when  there  came  such  a  voice  to  him  from  the 
excellent  glory,  This  is  my  beloved  Son,  in  whom  I  am  well 
pleased.  And  this  voice  which  came  from  heaven  we  heard, 
when  we  were  with  him  in  the  holy  mount."  The  apostle  calls  that 
mount  the  holy  mount,  because  the  manifestations  of  Christ,  which 
were  there  made  to  their  minds,  and  which  their  minds  were  espe- 


248  FIFTH    SIGN    OF 

cially  impressed  and  ravished  with,  were  the  glory  of  his  holiness, 
or  the  heauty  of  his  moral  excellency;  or,  as  another  of  these  dis- 
ciples who  saw  it,  expresses  it,  "  his  glory,  as  full  of  grace  and 
truth." 

Now  this  distinguishing  glory  of  the  divine  Being  has  its  bright- 
est appearance  and  manifestation,  in  the  things  proposed  and  ex- 
hibited to  us  in  the  gospel,  the  doctrines  there  taught,  the  word 
there  spoken,  and  the  divine  counsels,  acts  and  works  there  re- 
vealed. These  things  have  the  clearest,  most  admirable  and  dis- 
tinguishing representations  and  exhibitions  of  the  glory  of  God's 
moral  perfections,  that  ever  were  made  to  the  world.  And  if 
there  be  such  a  distinguishing,  evidential  manifestation  of  divine 
glory  in  the  gospel,  it  it  reasonable  to  suppose  that  there  may  be 
such  a  thing  as  seeing  it.  What  should  hinder  but  that  it  may 
be  seen?  It  is  po  argument  that  it  can  not  be  seen,  that  some  do 
not  see  it;  though  they  may  be  discerning  men  in  temporal  mat- 
ters. If  there  be  such  ineffable,  distinguishing,  evidential  excel- 
lencies in  the  gospel,  it  is  reasonable  to  suppose  that  they  are 
such  as  are  not  to  be  discerned  but  by  the  special  influence  and 
enlightenings  of  the  Spirit  of  God.  There  is  need  of  uncommon 
force  of  mind  to  discern  the  distinguishing  excellencies  of  the  works 
of  authors  of  great  genius:  those  in  Milton,  which  to  mean  judges 
appear  tasteless  and  imperfections,  are  his  inimitable  excellencies 
in  the  eyes  of  those  who  are  of  greater  discerning  and  better 
taste.  And  if  there  be  a  book  which  God  is  the  author  of,  it  is 
most  reasonable  to  suppose  that  the  distinguishing  glories  of  his 
;  Word  are  of  such  a  kind,  as  that  the  corruptions  of  mens  hearts, 
which  above  all  things  alienates  men  from  the  Deity,  and  makes 
the  heart  dull  and  stupid  to  any  sense  or  taste  of  those  things 
•f  wherein  the  moral  glory  of  the  divine  perfections  consists.  I  say, 
I  it  is  but  reasonable  to  suppose  that  this  would  blind  men  from 
'  discerning  the  beauties  of  such  a  book;  and  that  therefore  they 
!  will  not  see  them,  but  as  God  is  pleased  to  enlighten  them,  and 
restore  a  holy  taste  to  discern  and  relish  divine  beauties. 

This  sense  of  the  spiritual  excellency  and  beauty  of  divine 
i  things,  does  also  tend  directly  to  convince  the  mind  of  the  truth 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS,  249 

of  the  gospel,  as  there  are  very  many  of  the  most  important  things 
declared  in  the  gospel,  that  are  hid  from  the  eyes  of  natural  men, 
the  truth  of  which  does  in  effect  consist  in  this  excellency,  or  does 
so  immediately  depend  upon  it,  and  result  from  it,  that  in  this  ex- 
cellency's being  seen,  the  truth  of  those  things  is  seen.  As  soon 
as  ever  the  eyes  are  opened  to  behold  the  holy  beauty  and  amia- 
bleness  that  is  in  divine  things,  a  multitude  of  most  important 
doctrines  of  the  gospel  that  depend  upon  it  (which  all  appear 
strange  atnd  dark  to  natural  men)  are  at  once  seen  to  be  true. 
As  for  instance,  hereby  appears  the  truth  of  what  the  word  of 
God  declares  concerning  the  exceeding  evil  of  sin;  for  the  same 
eye  that  discerns  the  transcendent  beauty  of  holiness,  necessarily 
therein  sees  the  exceeding  odiousness  of  sin:  the  same  taste  which 
relishes  the  sweetness  of  true  moral  good,  tastes  the  bitterness  of 
moral  evil.  And  by  this  means  a  man  sees  his  own  sinfulness 
and  loathsomeness;  for  he  has  now  a  sense  to  discern  objects  of 
this  nature;  and  so  sees  the  truth  of  what  the  word  of  God  de- 
clares concerning  the  exceeding  sinfulness  of  mankind,  which  be- 
fore he  did  not  see.  He  now  sees  the  dreadful  pollution  of  his 
heart,  and  the  desperate  depravity  of  his  nature,  in  a  new  man- 
ner; for  his  soul  has  now  a  sense  given  it  to  feel  the  pain  of  such 
a  disease;  and  this  shows  him  the  truth  of  what  the  scripture  re- 
veals concerning  the  corruption  of  man's  nature,  his  original  sin, 
and  the  ruinous,  undone  condition  man  is  in,  and  his  need  of  a 
Saviour,  his  need  of  the  mighty  power  of  God  to  renew  his  heart 
and  change  his  nature.  Men,  by  seeing  the  true  excellency  of 
holiness,  do  see  the  glory  of  all  those  things,  which  both  reason 
and  scripture  show  to  be  in  the  divine  Being;  for  it  has  been 
shown,  that  the  glory  of  them  depends  on  this:  and  hereby  they 
see  the  truth  of  all  that  the  scripture  declares  concerning  God's 
glorious  excellency  and  majesty,  his  being  the  fountain  of  all 
good,  the  only  happiness  of  the  creature,  &c.  And  this  again 
shows  the  mind  the  truth  of  what  the  scripture  teaches  concerning 
the  evil  of  sin  against  so  glorious  a  God;  and  also  the  truth  of  what 
it  teaches  concerning  sin's  just  desert  of  that  dreadful  punishment 
which  it  reveals;  and  also  concerning  the  impossibility  of  our 


250  FtPTH  SIGN  OF 

offering  any  satisfaction,  or  sufficient  atonement  for  that  Avhich  is 
so  infinitely  evil  and  heinous.  And  this  again  shows  the  truth  of 
what  the  scripture  reveals  concerning  the  necessity  of  a  Saviour, 
to  offer  an  atonement  of  infinite  value  for  sin.  And  this  sense  of 
spiritual  beauty  that  has  been  spoken  of,  enables  the  soul  to  see 
the  glory  of  those  things  which  the  gospel  reveals  concerning  the 
person  of  Christ;  and  so  enables  to  see  the  exceeding  beauty  and 
dignity  of  his  person,  appearing  in  what  the  gospel  exhibits  of  his 
word,  works,  acts,  and  life:  and  this  apprehension  of  the  super- 
lative dignity  of  his  person,  shows  the  truth  of  what  the  gospel  de- 
clares concerning  the  value  of  his  blood  and  righteousness,  and  so 
the  infinite  excellency  of  that  offering  he  has  made  to  God  for  us, 
and  so  its  sufficiency  to  atone  for  our  sins,  and  recommend  us  to 
God.  And  thus  the  Spirit  of  God  discovers  the  way  of  salvation 
by  Christ;  thus  the  soul  sees  the  fitness  and  suitableness  of  this 
way  of  salvation,  the  admirable  wisdom  of  the  contrivance,  and 
the  perfect  answerableness  of  the  provision  that  the  gospel  exhi- 
bits (as  made  for  us)  to  our  necessities.  A  sense  of  true  divine 
beauty  being  given  to  the  soul,  the  soul  discerns  the  beauty  of 
every  part  of  the  gospel  scheme.  This  also  shows  the  soul  the 
truth  of  what  the  word  of  God  declares  concerning  man's  chief 
happiness,  as  consisting  in  holy  exercises  and  enjoyments.  This 
shows  the  truth  of  what  the  gospel  declares  concerning  the  un- 
speakable glory  of  the  heavenly  state.  And  what  the  prophecies 
of  the  Old  Testament,  and  the  writings  of  the  apostles  declare 
concerning  the  glory  of  the  Messiah's  kingdom,  is  now  all  plain; 
and  also  what  the  scripture  teaches  concerning  the  reasons  and 
grounds  of  our  duty.  The  truth  of  all  these  things  revealed  in 
'  the  scripture,  and  many  more  that  might  be  mentioned,  appears 
to  the  soul,  only  by  imparting  that  spiritual  taste  of  divine  beauty, 
which  has  been  spoken  of;  they  being  hidden  things  to  the  soul 
before. 

And  besides  all  this,  the  truth  of  all  those  things  which  the 
scripture  says  about  experimental  religion,  is  hereby  known;  for 
they  are  now  experienced.  And  this  convinces  the  soul,  that 
one  who  knew  the  heart  of  man,  better  than  we  know  our  own 


GRACIOUS   AFFECTIONS.  251 

hearts,  and  perfectly  knew  the  nature  of  virtue  and  holiness,  was 
the  author  of  the  scriptures.  And  the  opening  to  view,  with 
such  clearness,  such  a  world  of  wonderful  and  glorious  truth  in 
the  gospel,  that  before  was  unknown,  being  quite  above  the  view 
of  a  natural  eye,  but  now  appearing  so  clear  and  bright,  has  a 
powerful  and  invincible  influence  on  the  soul,  to  persuade  of  the 
divinity  of  the  gospel. 

Unless  men  may  come  to  a  reasonable,  solid  persuasion  and 
conviction  of  the  truth  of  the  gospel,  by  the  internal  evidences  of 
it,  in  the  way  that  has  been  spoken,  viz.  by  a  sight  of  its  glory;  it 
is  impossible  that  those  who  are  illiterate,  and  unacquainted  with 
history,  should  have  any  thorough  and  effectual  conviction  of  it 
at  all.  They  may  without  this,  see  a  great  deal  of  probability  of 
it;  it  may  be  reasonable  for  them  to  give  much  credit  to  what 
learned  men  and  historians  tell  them;  and  they  may  tell  them  so 
much,  that  it  may  look  very  probable  and  rational  to  them,  that 
the  christian  religion  is  true;  and  so  much  that  they  would  be 
very  unreasonable  not  to  entertain  this  opinion.  But  to  have  a 
conviction,  so  clear  and  evident,  and  assuring,  as  to  be  sufficient 
to  induce  them,  with  boldness  to  sell  all,  confidently  and  fearless- 
ly to  run  the  venture  of  the  loss  of  all  things,  and  of  enduring  the 
most  exquisite  and  long  continued  torments,  and  to  trample  the 
world  under  foot,  and  count  all  things  but  dung  for  Christ;  the 
evidence  they  can  have  from  history,  can  not  be  sufficient.  It  is 
impossible  that  men,  who  have  not  something  of  a  general  view 
of  the  historical  world,  or  the  series  of  history  from  age  to  age, 
should  come  at  the  force  of  arguments  for  the  truth  of  Christian^ 
ity,  drawn  from  history,  to  that  degree,  as  effectually  to  induce 
them  to  venture  their  all  upon  it.  After  all  that  learned  men 
have  said  to  them,  there  will  remain  innumerable  doubts  on  their 
minds;  they  will  be  ready,  when  pinched  with  some  great  trial 
of  their  faith,  to  say,  "How  do  I  know  this,  or  that?  How  do  I 
know  when  these  histories  were  written?  Learned  men  tell  me 
these  histories  were  so  and  so  attested  in  the  day  of  them;  but 
bow  do  I  know  that  there  were  such  attestations  then?  They  telj 
me  there  is  equal  reason  to  believe  these  facts,  as  any  wbatsoevcv 


2B2  FIFTH  SIGN  OF 

that  are  related  at  such  a  distance;  but  how  do  I  know  that  other 
facts  which  are  related  of  those  ages,  ever  were  ?"  Those  who 
have  not  something  of  a  general  view  of  the  series  of  historical 
events,  and  of  the  state  of  mankind  from  age  to  age,  can  not  see 
the  clear  evidence  from  history,  of  the  truth  of  facts,  in  distant 
ages;  but  there  will  endless  doubts  and  scruples  remain. 

But  the  gospel  was  not  given  only  for  learned  men.  There 
are  at  least  nineteen  in  twenty,  if  not  ninety-nine  in  a  hundred, 
^  of  those  for  whom  the  scriptures  were  written,  that  are  not  capa- 
ble of  any  certain  or  effectual  conviction  of  the  divine  authority  of 
the  scriptures,  by  such  arguments  as  learned  men  make  use  of. 
If  men  who  have  been  brought  up  in  heathenism,  must  wait  for 
a  clear  and  certain  conviction  of  the  truth  of  Christianity,  until 
they  have  learning  and  acquaintance  with  the  histories  of  politer 
nations,  enough  to  see  clearly  the  force  of  such  kind  of  arguments; 
it  will  make  the  evidence  of  the  gospel  to  them  immensely  cum- 
bersome, and  will  render  the  propagation  of  the  gospel  among 
them  infinitely  difficult.  Miserable  is  the  condition  of  the  Hous- 
satunnuck  Indians,  and  others,  who  have  lately  manifested  a  de- 
sire to  be  instructed  in  Christianity,  if  they  can  come  at  no  evi- 
dence of  the  truth  of  Christianity,  sufficient  to  induce  them  to  sell 
all  for  Christ,  in  any  other  way  but  this. 

It  is  unreasonable  to  suppose,  that  God  has  provided  for  his 
people  no  more  than  probable  evidences  of  the  truth  of  the  gospel. 
He  has  with  great  care,  abundantly  provided,  and  given  them, 
the  most  convincing,  assuring,  satisfying  and  manifold  evidence 
of  his  faithfulness  in  the  covenant  of  grace;  and  as  David  says, 
*'made  a  covenant,  ordered  in  all  things  and  sure."  Therefore 
it  is  rational  to  suppose,  that  at  the  same  time,  he  would  not  fail 
of  ordering  the  matter  so,  that  there  should  not  be  wanting,  as 
great  and  clear  evidence,  that  this  is  his  covenant,  and  that  these 
promises  are  his  promises;  or,  which  is  the  same  thing,  that  the 
christian  religion  is  true,  and  that  the  gospel  is  his  word.  Other- 
wise in  vain  are  those  great  assurances  he  has  given  of  his  faith- 
fulness in  his  covenant,  by  confirming  it  with  his  oath,  and  so 
variously  establishing  it  by  seals  and  pledges.     For  the  evidence 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  25S 

that  it  is  his  covenant,  is  properly  the  foundation  on  which  all  the 
force  and  effect  of  those  other  assurances  do  stand.  We  may 
therefore  undoubtedly  suppose  and  conclude,  that  there  is  some 
sort  of  evidence  which  God  has  given,  that  this  covenant,  and 
these  promises  are  his,  beyond  all  mere  probability;  that  there 
are  some  grounds  of  assurance  of  it  held  forth,  which,  if  we  were 
not  blind  to  them,  tend  to  give  a  higher  persuasion,  than  any 
arguing  from  history,  human  tradition,  &,c.  which  the  illiterate 
and  unacquainted  with  history  are  capable  of;  yea,  that  which  is 
good  ground  of  the  highest  and  most  perfect  assurance,  that  man- 
kind have  in  any  case  whatsoever,  agreeable  to  those  high  ex- 
pressions which  the  apostle  uses,  Heb.  x.  22,  "Let  us  draw  near 
in  full  assurance  of  faith."  And  Col.  ii.  2,  "  That  their  hearts 
might  be  comforted,  being  knit  together  in  love,  and  unto  all 
riches  of  the  full  assurance  of  understanding,  to  the  acknowledg- 
ment of  the  mystery  of  God,  and  of  the  Father,  and  of  Christ." 
It  is  reasonable  to  suppose,  that  God  would  give  the  greatest  evi- 
dence of  those  things  which  are  greatest,  and  the  truth  of  which 
is  of  greatest  importance  to  us:  and  that  we  therefore,  if  we  are 
wise,  and  act  rationally,  shall  have  the  greatest  desire  of  having 
full,  undoubting,  and  perfect  assurance  of.  But  it  is  certain,  that 
such  an  assurance  is  not  to  be  attained  by  the  greater  part  of 
them  who  live  under  the  gospel,  by  arguments  fetched  from  an- 
cient traditions,  histories  and  monuments. 

And  if  we  come  to  fact  and  experience,  there  is  not  the  least 
reason  to  suppose,  that  one  in  a  hundred  of  those  who  have  been 
sincere  Christians,  and  have  had  a  heart  to  sell  all  for  Christ, 
have  come  by  their  conviction  of  the  truth  of  the  gospel  this  way. 
If  we  read  over  the  histories  of  the  many  thousands  that  died  mar- 
tyrs for  Christ,  since  the  beginning  of  the  reformation,  and  have 
cheerfully  undergone  extreme  tortures  in  a  confidence  of  the  truth 
of  the  gospel,  and  consider  their  circumstances  and  advantages, 
how  few  of  them  were  there,  that  wc  can  reasonably  suppose, 
ever  came  by  their  assured  persuasion  this  way;  or  indeed  for 
whom  it  was  possible,  reasonably  to  receive  so  full  and  strong  an 
assurance,  from  such  arguments !    Manv  of  them  were  weak  wo- 


354  FIFTH    SIGN   OF 

men  and  ch'ldren,  and  the  greater  part  of  them  illiterate  persons, 
many  of  whom  had  heen  brought  up  in  popish  ignorance  and 
darkness,  and  were  but  newly  come  out  of  it,  and  lived  and  died 
in  times  wherein  those  arguments  for  the  truth  of  Christianity, 
from  antiquity  and  history,  had  been  but  very  imperfectly  handled. 
And  indeed,  it  is  but  very  lately  that  these  arguments  have  been 
set  in  a  clear  and  convincing  light,  even  by  learned  men  them- 
selves: and  since  it  has  been  done,  there  never  were  fewer  tho- 
rough believers  among  those  who  have  been  educated  in  the  true 
religion;  infidelity  never  prevailed  so  much,  in  any  age,  as  in  this, 
wherein  these  arguments  are  handled  to  the  greatest  advantage. 

The  true  martyrs  of  Jesus  Christ  are  not  those  who  have  only 
been  strong  in  opinion  that  the  gospel  of  Christ  is  true,  but  those 
that  have  seen  the  truth  of  it;  as  the  very  name  of  martyrs  or 
witnesses  (by  which  they  are  called  in  scripture)  implies.  Those 
are  very  improperly  called  witnesses  of  the  truth  of  any  thing, 
who  only  declare  they  are  very  much  of  opinion  that  such  a  thing 
is  true.  Those  only  are  proper  witnesses,  who  can  and  do  testi- 
fy that  they  have  seen  the  truth  of  the  thing  they  assert;  John  iii. 
11,"  We  speak  that  we  do  know,  and  testify  that  we  have  seen. 
John  i.  34,  "  And  I  saw  and  bare  record  that  this  is  the  Son  of 
God."  1  John  iv.  14.  "  And  we  have  seen  and  do  testify  that 
the  Father  sent  the  Son  to  be  the  Saviour  of  the  world."  Acts 
xxii.  14,  15,  "  The  God  of  our  Fathers  hath  chosen  thee,  that 
thou  shouldst  know  his  will,  and  see  that  just  one,  and  shouldst 
hear  the  voice  of  his  mouth;  for  thou  shalt  be  his  witness  unto  all 
men,  of  what  thou  hast  seen  and  heard."  But  the  true  martyrs 
of  Jesus  Christ  are  called  his  witnesses;  and  all  the  saints,  who 
by  their  holy  practice  under  great  trials,  declare  that  faith,  which 
is  the  substance  of  things  hoped  for,  and  the  evidence  of  things 
not  seen,  are  called  witnesses,  Heb.  xi.  1,  and  xii.  1,  because  by 
their  profession  and  practice,  they  declare  their  assurance  of  the 
truth  and  divinity  of  the  gospel,  having  had  the  eyes  of  their  minds 
enlightened  to  see  divinity  in  the  gospel,  or  to  behold  that  unpa- 
ralleled, ineffably  excellent  and  truly  divine  glory  shining  in  it, 
which  is  altogether  distinguishing,  evidential  and  convincing:  so 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  255 

that  thej  may  truly  be  said  to  have  seen  God  in  it,  and  to  have 
seen  that  it  is  indeed  divine;  and  so  can  speak  in  the  style  of  wit- 
nesses; and  not  only  say  that  they  think  the  gospel  is  divine,  but 
say  that  it  is  divine,  giving  it  in  their  testimony,  because  they 
have  seen  it  to  be  so.  Doubtless  Peter,  James  and  John,  after 
they  had  seen  that  excellent  glory  of  Christ  in  the  mount,  would 
have  been  ready,  when  they  came  down  to  speak  in  the  language 
of  witnesses,  and  to  say  positively  that  Jesus  is  the  Son  of  God; 
as  Peter  says,  they  were  eye  witnesses,  2  Pet.  i.  16.  And  so  all 
nations  will  be  ready  positively  to  say  this,  when  they  shall  be- 
hold his  glory  at  the  day  of  judgment;  though  what  will  be  uni- 
versally seen,  will  be  only  his  natural  glory,  and  not  his  moral 
and  spiritual  glory,  which  is  much  more  distinguishing.  But  yet 
it  must  be  noted,  that  among  those  who  have  a  spiritual  sight  of 
the  divine  glory  of  the  gospel,  there  is  a  great  variety  of  degrees 
of  strength  of  faith,  as  there  is  a  vast  variety  of  the  degrees  of 
clearness  of  views  of  this  glory:  but  there  is  no  true  and  saving 
faith  or  spiritual  conviction  of  the  judgment,  of  the  truth  of  the 
gospel,  that  has  nothing  in  it,  of  this  manifestation  of  its  internal 
evidence  in  some  degree.  The  gospel  of  the  blessed  God  does 
not  go  abroad  a  begging  for  its  evidence  so  much  as  some  think; 
it  has  its  highest  and  most  proper  evidence  in  itself.  Though 
great  use  may  be  made  of  external  arguments,  they  are  not  to  be 
neglected,  but  highly  prized  and  valued;  for  they  may  be  greatly 
i?erviceable  to  awaken  unbelievers,  and  bring  them  to  serious  con- 
sideration, and  to  confirm  the  faith  of  true  saints;  yea,  they  may 
be  in  some  respects  subservient  to  the  begetting  of  a  saving  faith 
in  men.  Though  what  was  said  before  remains  true,  that  there 
is  no  spiritual  conviction  of  the  judgment,  but  what  arises  from 
an  apprehension  of  the  spiritual  beauty  and  glory  of  divine  things; 
for,  as  has  been  observed,  this  apprehension  or  view  has  a  ten- 
dency to  convince  the  mind  of  the  truth  of  the  gospel  two  ways, 
either  directly  or  indirectly.  Having  therefore  already  observed 
how  it  does  this  directly,  1  proceed  now, 

2.  To  observe  how  a  view  of  this  divine  glory  does  convince 
the  mind  of  the  truth  of  Christianity  more  indirectly. 


J256  FIFTH  SIGN  OP 

First,  It  doth  so,  as  the  prejudices  of  the  heart  against  the  truth 
of  divine  things  are  hereby  removed,  so  that  the  mind  thereby  lies 
open  to  the  force  of  the  reasons  which  are  offered.  The  mind  of 
man  is  naturally  full  of  enmity  against  the  doctrines  of  the  gospel ; 
which  is  a  disadvantage  to  those  arguments  that  prove  their  truth, 
and  causes  them  to  lose  their  force  upon  the  mind;  but  when  a  per- 
son has  discovered  to  him  the  divine  excellency  of  christian  doc- 
trines, this  destroys  that  enmity,  and  removes  the  prejudices,  and 
sanctifies  the  reason,  and  causes  it  to  be  open  and  free.  Hence  is  a 
Vast  difference  as  to  the  force  that  arguments  have  to  convince  the 
tnind.  Hence  was  the  very  different  effect,  which  Christ's  mira- 
cles had  to  convince  the  disciples,  from  what  they  had  to  convince 
the  scribes  and  pharisees:  not  that  they  had  a  stronger  reason,  or 
had  their  reason  more  improved;  but  their  reason  was  sanctified, 
and  those  blindiiig  prejudices,  which  the  scribes  and  pharisees 
were  under,  wt.*re  removed  by  the  sense  they  had  of  the  excellen- 
cy of  Christ  and  his  doctrine. 

Secondly,  It  not  only  removes  the  hiiiderances  of  reason,  but 
positively  helps  reason.  It  makes  even  the  speculative  notions 
more  lively.  It  assists  and  engages  the  attention  of  the  mind  to 
that  kind  of  objects  which  causes  it  to  have  a  clearer  view  of  them, 
and  more  clearly  to  see  their  mutual  relations.  The  ideas  them- 
selves, which  otherwise  are  dim  and  obscure,  by  this  means  have 
a  light  cast  upon  them,  and  are  impressed  with  greater  strength, 
so  that  the  mind  can  better  judge  of  them;  as  he  who  beholds  the 
objects  on  the  face  of  the  earth,  when  the  light  of  the  sun  is  cast 
!  tipon  them,  is  under  greater  advantage  to  discern  them,  in  their 
true  forms  and  mutual  relations,  and  to  see  the  evidences  of  divine 
wisdom  and  skill  in  their  contrivance,  than  he  that  sees  them  in- 
a  dim  star-light  or  twilight. 

What  has  been  said  may  serve  in  some  measure  to  show  the 
nature  of  a  spiritual  conviction  of  the  judgment  of  the  truth  and 
reality  of  divine  things;  and  so  to  distinguish  truly  gracious  affec- 
tions from  others;  for  gracious  affections  are  evermore  attended 
with  such  a  conviction  of  the  judgment>. 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  25T 

Eut  before  I  dismiss  this  head,  it  will  be  needful  to  observe  the 
ways  whereby  some  are  deceived  with  respect  to  this  matter;  and 
take  notice  of  several  things  that  are  sometimes  taken  for  a  spi- 
ritual and  saving  belief  of  the  truth  of  the  things  of  religion,  which 
are  indeed  very  diverse  from  it. 

1.  There  is  a  degree  of  conviction  of  the  truth  of  the  great 
things  of  religion,  that  arises  from  the  common  enlightenings  of 
the  Spirit  of  God.  That  more  lively  and  sensible  apprehension 
of  the  things  of  religion,  with  respect  to  what  is  natural  in  them, 
such  as  natural  men  have  who  are  under  awakenings  and  common 
i  illuminations,  will  give  some  degree  of  conviction  of  the  truth  of 
'.  divine  things,  beyond  what  they  had  before  they  were  thus  en- 
lightened. For  hereby  they  see  the  manifestations  there  are,  in 
the  revelation  made  in  the  holy  scriptures,  and  things  exhibited  in 
that  revelation,  of  the  natural  perfections  of  God;  such  as  his 
greatness,  power  and  awful  majesty;  which  tends  to  convince  the 
mind  that  this  is  the  word  of  a  great  and  terrible  God.  From 
the  tokens  there  are  of  God's  greatness  and  majesty  in  his  word 
and  works,  which  they  have  a  great  sense  of,  from  the  common 
influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  they  may  have  a  much  greater  con^ 
viction  that  these  are  indeed  the  words  and  works  of  a  very  great 
invisible  Being.  And  the  lively  apprehension  of  the  greatness  of 
God,  which  natural  men  may  have,  tends  to  make  them  sensi- 
ble of  the  great  guilt  which  sin  against  a  God  brings,  and  the 
dreadfulness  of  his  wrath  for  sin.  And  this  tends  to  cause  them 
more  easily  and  fully  to  believe  the  revelation  the  scripture  makes 
of  another  world,  and  of  the  extreme  misery  it  treatens,  there  to 
be  inflicted  on  sinners.  And  so  from  that  sense  of  the  great  na- 
tural good  there  is  in  the  things  of  religion,  which  is  sometimes 
given  in  common  illuminations,  men  may  be  the  more  induced  to 
believe  the  truth  of  religion.  These  things  persons  may  have, 
,  and  yet  have  no  sense  of  the  beauty  and  amiableness  of  the  moral 
and  holy  excellence  that  is  in  the  things  of  religion,  and  therefore 
i  no  spiritual  conviction  of  their  truth.  But  yet  such  convictions 
are  sometimes  mistaken  for  saving  convictions,  and  the  aifectioris 
flowing  from  them  for  saving  affections. 


358  FIFTH   SIGN  OF 

2.  The  extraordinaiy  impressions  which  are  made  on  the  im- 
aginations of  some  persons,  in  the  visions  and  immediate  strong 
impulses  and  suggestions  that  they  have,  as  though  they  saw  sights, 
and  had  words  spoken  to  them,  may,  and  often  do  beget  a  strong 
persuasion  of  the  truth  of  invisible  things.  Though  the  general 
tendency  of  such  things,  in  their  final  issue,  is  to  draw  men  off 
from  the  word  of  God,  and  to  cause  them  to  reject  the  gospel, 
and  to  establish  unbelief  and  atheism;  yet  for  the  present,  they 
may,  and  often  do  beget  a  confident  persuasion  of  the  truth  of 
some  things  that  are  revealed  in  the  scriptures;  however,  their  con- 
fidence is  founded  in  delusion,  and  so  nothing  worth.  As  for  in- 
stance, if  a  person  has  by  some  invisible  agent,  immediately  and 
strongly  impressed  on  his  imagination,  the  appearance  of  a  bright 
light,  and  glorious  form  of  a  person  seated  on  a  throne,  with  great 
external  majest}'  and  beauty,  uttering  some  remarkable  words, 
with  great  force  and  energy;  the  person  who  is  the  subject  of 
such  an  operation,  may  be  from  hence  confident,  that  there  are 
invisible  agents,  spiritual  beings,  from  what  he  has  experienced, 
knowing  that  he  had  no  hand  himself  in  this  extraordinary  effect, 
which  he  has  experienced:  and  he  may  also  be  confident,  that 
this  is  Christ  whom  he  saw  and  heard  speaking:  and  this  may 
make  him  confident  that  there  is  a  Christ,  and  that  Christ  reigns 
on  a  throne  in  heaven,  as  he  saw  him;  and  may  be  confident  that 
the  words  which  he  heard  him  speak  are  true,  &c.  In  the  same 
manner,  as  the  lying  miracles  of  the  papists,  may  for  the  present, 
beget  in  the  minds  of  the  ignorant  deluded  people,  a  strong  perr 
suasion  of  the  truth  of  many  things  declared  in  the  New  Testa- 
ment. Thus  when  the  images  of  Christ,  in  popish  churches,  are 
on  some  extraordinary  occasions,  made  by  priestcraft  to  appear  to 
the  people  as  if  they  wept,  and  shed  fresh  blood,  and  moved,  and 
uttered  such  and  such  words;  the  people  may  be  verily  persuaded 
that  it  is  a  miracle  wrought  by  Christ  himself;  and  from  thence 
may  be  confident  there  is  a  Christ,  and  that  what  they  are  told  of 
his  death  and  sufferings,  and  resurrection,  and  ascension,  and 
present  government  of  the  world  is  true;  for  they  may  look  upon 
this  miracle,  as  a  certain  evidence  of  all  these  things,  and  a  kind 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  259 

of  occular  der/ionstration  of  them.  This  may  be  the  influence  of 
these  lying  winders  for  the  present;  though  the  general  tendency 
^  of  them  is  noj  to  convince  that  Jesus  Christ  is  come  in  the  flesh, 
but  finally  to  rtromote  atheism.  Even  the  intercourse  which  Satan 
has  with  wiiches,  and  their  often  experiencing  his  immediate 
power,  has  a  tendency  to  convince  them  of  the  truth  of  some  of 
the  doctrines  of  religion;  as  particularly  the  reality  of  an  invisible 
world,  or  world  of  spirits,  contrary  to  the  doctrine  of  the  Saddu- 
cees.  The  general  tendency  of  Satan's  influence  is  delusion:  but 
yet  he  may  mix  some  truth  with  his  lies,  that  his  lies  may  not  be 
so  easily  discovered. 

There  are  multitudes  that  are  deluded  with  a  counterfeit  faith, 
j  from  impressions  on  their  imagination,  in  the  manner  which  has 
been  now  spoken  of.  They  say  they  know  that  there  is  a  God, 
for  they  have  seen  him;  they  know  that  Christ  is  the  Son  of  God, 
for  they  have  seen  him  in  his  glory;  they  know  that  Christ  died 
for  sinners,  for  they  have  seen  him  hanging  on  the  cross,  and  his 
blood  running  from  his  wounds;  they  know  there  is  a  heaven  and 
a  hell,  for  they  have  seen  the  misery  of  the  damned  souls  in  hell, 
and  the  glory  of  saints  and  angels  in  heaven  (meaning  some  ex- 
ternal representations,  strongly  impressed  on  their  imagination;) 
they  know  that  the  scriptures  are  the  word  of  God,  and  that  such 
and  such  promises  in  particular  are  his  word,  for  they  have  heard 
him  speak  them  to  them;  they  came  to  their  minds  suddenly  and 
immediately  from  God,  without  their  having  any  hand  in  it. 
3.  Persons  may  seem  to  have  their  belief  of  the  truth  of  the 
L  things  of  religion  greatly  increased,  when  the  foundation  of  it  is 
only  a  persuasion  they  have  received  of  their  interest  in  them. 
They  first,  by  some  means  or  other,  take  up  a  confidence,  that  if 
there  be  a  Christ  and  heaven,  they  are  theirs;  and  this  prejudices 
them  more  in  favour  of  the  truth  of  them.  When  they  hear  of  the 
great  and  glorious  things  of  religion,  it  is  with  this  notion,  that  all 
I  these  things  belong  to  them;  and  hence  easily  become  confident 
that  they  are  true;  they  look  upon  it  to  be  greatly  for  their  interest 
that  they  should  be  true.  It  is  very  obvious  what  a  strong  influ- 
ence fliens  interest  and  inclinations  have  on  their   judgments. 


260  SIXTH  SIGN  OP 

While  a  natural  man  thinks,  that  if  there  be  a  heaven  and  hell, 
the  latter,  and  not  the  former,  belongs  to  him;  then  he  will  be 
hardly  persuaded  that  there  is  a  heaven  or  hell:  but  when  he 
comes  to  be  persuaded,  that  hell  belongs  only  to  other  folks,  and 
not  to  him,  then  he  can  easily  allow  the  reality  of  hell,  and  cry 
out  of  others'  senselessness  and  sottishness  in  neglecting  means  of 
escape  from  it:  and  being  confident  that  he  is  a  child  of  God,  and 
that  God  has  promised  heaven  to  him,  he  may  seem  strong  in  the 
faith  of  its  reality,  and  may  have  a  great  zeal  against  that  infidelity 
which  denies  it. 

But  I  proceed  to  another  distinguishing  sign  of  gracious  affec- 
tions. 

VI.  Gracious  affections  are  attended  with  evangelical  humilia- 
tion. 

Evangelical  humiliation  is  a  sense  that  a  Christian  has  of  his 
own  utter  insufficiency,  despicableness,  and  odiousness,  with  an 
answerable  frame  of  heart. 

-  There  is  a  distinction  to  be  made  between  ^legal  and  evangel- 
ical humiliation.  The  former  is  what  men  may  be  the  subjects  of, 
while  they  are  yet  in  a  state  of  nature,  and  have  no  gracious  affec- 
tion; the  latter  is  peculiar  to  true  saints:  the  former  is  from  the 
common  influence  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  assisting  natural  princi- 
ples, and  especially  natural  conscience;  the  latter  is  from  the  spe- 
cial influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  implanting  and  exercising 
supernatural  and  divine  principles:  the  former  is  from  the  mind's 
being  assisted  to  a  greater  sense  of  the  things  of  religion,  as  to 
their  natural  properties  and  qualities,  and  particularly  of  the  na- 
tural perfections  of  God,  such  as  his  greatness,  terrible  majesty, 
&c.  which  were  manifested  to  the  congregation  of  Israel,  in  giv- 
ing the  law  at  Mount  Sinai;  the  latter  is  from  a  sense  of  the 
transcendent  beauty  of  divine  things  in  their  moral  qualities:  in 
the  former,  a  sense  of  the  awful  greatness,  and  natural  perfections 
of  God,  and  of  the  strictness  of  his  law,  convinces  men  that  they 
are  exceeding  sinful,  and  guilty,  and  exposed  to  the  wrath  of  God, 
as  it  will  wicked  men  and  devils  at  the  day  of  judgment;  but  they 
dq  not  see  their  own  odiousness  on  the  account  of  sin;  they  do  not 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  261 

aee  the  hateful  nature  of  sin;  a  sense  of  this  is  given  in  evangelical 
humiliation,  by  a  discovery  of  the  beauty  of  God's  holiness  and 
moral  perfection.  In  a  legal  humiliation,  men  are  made  sensible 
that  they  are  little  and  nothing  before  the  great  and  terrible  God, 
and  that  they  are  undone,  and  wholly  insufficient  to  help  them- 
selves; as  wicked  men  will  be  at  the  day  of  judgment:  but  they 
have  not  an  answerable  frame  of  heart,  consisting  in  a  disposition 
to  abase  themselves,  and  exalt  God  alone;  this  disposition  is  giv- 
en only  in  evangelical  humiliation,  by  overcoming  the  heart,  and 
changing  its  inclination,  by  a  discovery  of  God's  holy  beauty:  in 
a  legal  humiliation,  the  conscience  is  convinced;  as  the  con- 
sciences of  all  will  be  most  perfectly  at  the  day  of  judgment;  but 
because  there  is  no  spiritual  understanding,  the  will  is  not  bowed, 
nor  the  inclination  altered;  this  is  done  only  in  evangelical  humili- 
ation. In  legal  humiliation,  men  are  brought  to  despair  of  help- 
ing themselves;  in  evangelical,  they  are  brought  voluntarily  to 
deny  and  renounce  themselves:  in  the  former,  they  are  subdued 
and  forced  to  the  ground;  in  the  latter,  they  are  brought  sweetly 
to  yield,  and  freely  and  with  delight  to  prostrate  themselves  at  the 
feet  of  God. 

Legal  humiliation  has  in  it  no  spiritual  good,  nothing  of  the  na- 
ture of  true  virtue;  whereas  evangelical  humiliation  is  that  wherein 
the  excellent  beauty  of  christian  grace  does  very  much  consist. 
Legal  humiliation  is  useful,  as  a  means  in  order  to  evangelical; 
as  a  common  knowledge  of  the  things  of  religion  is  a  means  re- 
quisite in  order  to  spiritual  knowledge.  Men  may  be  legally 
humbled  and  have  no  humility:  as  the  wicked  at  the  day  of  judg- 
ment will  be  thoroughly  convinced  that  they  have  no  righteous- 
^ness,  but  are  altogether  sinful,  and  exceedingly  guilty,  and  justly 
exposed  to  eternal  damnation,  and  be  fully  sensible  of  their  owa 
helplessness,  without  the  least  mortification  of  the  pride  of  their 
hearts:  but  the  essence  of  evangelical  humiliation  consists  in  such 
humility,  as  becomes  a  creature,  in  itself  exceeding  sinful,  under 
a  dispensation  of  grace;  consisting  in  a  mean  esteem  of  himself, 
as  in  himself  nothing,  and  altogether  contemptible  and  odious;  at- 


262  SIXTH  SIGN  OF 

tended  with  a  mortification  of  a  disposition  to  exalt  himself,  and  a 
free  renunciation  of  his  own  glory. 

This  is  a  great  and  most  essential  thing  in  true  religion.  The 
whole  frame  of  the  gospel,  and  every  thing  appertaining  to  the 
new  covenant,  and  all  God's  dispensations  towards  fallen  man 
are  calculated  to  bring  to  pass  this  effect  in  the  hearts  of  men. 
They  that  are  destitute  of  this,  have  no  true  religion,  whatever 
profession  they  may  make,  and  how  high  soever  their  religious  af- 
fections may  be;  Hah.  ii.  4,  "  Behold,  his  soul  which  is  lifted  up 
is  not  upright  in  him;  but  the  just  shall  live  by  his  faith;"  i.  e.  he 
shall  live  by  his  faith  on  God's  righteousness  and  grace,  and  not 
his  own  goodness  and  excellency.  God  has  abundantly  manifest- 
ed in  his  word,  that  this  is  what  he  has  a  peculiar  respect  to  in  his 
saints,  and  that  nothing  is  acceptable  to  him  without  it;  Psalms, 
xxxiv.  18,  "  The  Lord  is  nigh  unto  them  that  are  of  a  broken 
heart,  and  saveth  such  as  be  of  a  contrite  spirit."  Psal.  li.  IT, 
"  The  sacrifices  of  God  are  a  broken  spirit:  a  broken  and  a 
contrite  heart,  0  God,  thou  wilt  not  despise."  Psal.  cxxxviii.  6, 
"  Though  the  Lord  be  high,  yet  hath  he  respect  unto  the  lowly." 
Prov.  iii.  34,  "  He  giveth  grace  unto  the  lowly."  Isa.  Ivii.  15, 
"  Thus  saith  the  high  and  lofty  One  who  inhabiteth  eternity,  whose 
name  is  Holy,  I  dwell  in  the  high  and  holy  place;  with  him  also 
that  is  of  a  contrite  and  humble  spirit,  to  revive  the  spirit  of 
the  humble,  and  to  revive  the  heart  of  the  contrite  ones."  Isa. 
Ixvi.  1,2,  "  Thus  saith  the  Lord,  the  heaven  is  my  throne, 
and  the  earth  is  my  footstool: — but  to  this  man  will  I  look,  even 
to  him  that  is  poor  and  of  a  contrite  spirit,  and  trembleth  at  my 
word."  Micah  vi.  8,  "  He  hath  showed  thee,  O  man,  what  is 
good;  and  what  doth  the  Lord  thy  God  require  of  thee,  but  to  do 
justly,  and  to  love  mercy,  and  walk  humbly  with  thy  God?"  Matt, 
3.  "  Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit,  for  theirs  is  the  kingdom  of 
God."  Matt,  xviii.  3,  4,  "  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  Except  ye  be 
converted,  and  become  as  little  children,  ye  shall  not  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  heaven.  Whosoever  therefore  shall  humble  him- 
self as  this  little  child,  the  same  is  greatest  in  the  kingdom  of 
heaven."    Mark  x.  15,  "  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  whosoever  shall 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS. 

not  receive  the  kingdom  of  God  as  a  little  child,  he  shall  not  en- 
ter therein."  The  centurion  that  we  have  an  account  of,  Luke 
vii,  acknowledged  that  he  was  not  worthy  that  Christ  should 
enter  under  his  roof,  and  that  he  was  not  worthy  to  come  to  him. 
See  the  manner  of  the  woman's  coming  to  Christ,  that  was  a  sin- 
ner, Luke  vii.  37,  &c.  "  And  behold,  a  woman  in  the  city,  which 
was  a  sinner,  when  she  knew  that  Jesus  sat  at  meat  in  the  phari- 
see's  house,  brought  an  alabaster  box  of  ointment,  and  stood  at  his 
feet  behind  him  weeping,  and  began  to  wash  his  feet  with  tears, 
and  did  wipe  them  with  the  hairs  of  her  head."  She  did  not 
think  the  hair  of  her  head,  which  is  the  natural  crown  and 
glory  of  a  woman,  (1  Cor.  xi.  15)  too  good  to  wipe  the  feet  of 
Christ  withal.  Jesus  most  graciously  accepted  her,  and  says  to 
her,  "  Thy  faith  hath  saved  thee,  go  in  peace."  The  woman  of 
Canaan  submitted  to  Christ,  in  his  saying,  "  It  is  not  meet  to  take 
the  childrens  bread,  and  to  cast  it  to  dogs,"  and  did,  as  it  were, 
own  that  she  was  worthy  to  be  called  a  dog;  whereupon  Christ 
says  unto  her,  "  O  woman,  great  is  thy  faith;  be  it  unto  thee 
even  as  thou  wilt,"  Matt.  xv.  26,  27,  28.  The  prodigal  son  said, 
"  I  will  arise  and  go  to  my  father,  and  I  will  say  unto  him,  Fa- 
ther, I  have  sinned  against  heaven  and  before  thee,  and  am  no 
more  worthy  to  be  called  thy  son;  make  me  as  one  of  thy  hired 
servants,"  Luke  xv.  18,  &c.  See  also  Luke  xviii.  9,  &c.  "  And 
he  spake  this  parable  unto  certain  which  trusted  in  them- 
selves that  they  were  righteous,  and  despised  others,"  &c. 
"  The  publican  standing  afar  off,  would  not  so  much  as  lift  up  his 
eyes  to  heaven,  but  smote  upon  his  breast,  saying,  God  be  merci- 
ful to  me  a  sinner.  I  tell  you,  this  man  went  down  to  his  house 
justified  rather  than  the  others:  for  every  one  that  exalteth  him- 
self, shall  be  abased;  and  he  that  humbleth  himself,  shall  be  ex- 
alted." Matt,  xxviii.  9,  "  And  they  came  and  held  him  by  the 
feet,  and  worshipped  him."  Col.  iii.  12,  "  Put  ye  on  as  the  elect 
of  God, — humbleness  of  mind."  Ezek.  xx.  41,  43,  "  I  will  ac- 
cept you  with  the  sweet  savour,  when  I  bring  you  out  from  the 
people,"  &,c.  "  And  there  shall  ye  remember  your  ways  and  all 
your  doings,  wherein  ye  have  been  defiled,  and  ye  shall  loathe 


26i  SIXTH  SIGN  OF 

yourselves  in  your  own  sight,  for  all  your  evils  that  ye  liave  com- 
mitted," Chap,  xxxvi.  26,  27,  31,  "  A  new  heart  also  will  I  give 
unto  you;  and  I  will  put  my  Spirit  within  you,  and  cause  you 
to  walk  in  my  statutes,"  &c,  "  Then  shall  ye  remember  your 
own  evil  ways,  and  your  doings  that  were  not  good,  and  shall 
loathe  yourselves  in  your  own  sight,  for  your  iniquities  and  for 
your  abominations."  Chap.  xvi.  63,  "  That  thou  mayest  remem- 
ber and  be  confounded,  and  never  open  thy  mouth  any  more  be- 
cause of  thy  shame,  when  I  am  pacified  toward  thee  for  all  that 
thou  hast  done,  saith  the  Lord."  Job  xlii.  6,  "  I  abhor  myself, 
and  repent  in  dust  and  ashes." 

As  we  would  therefore  make  the  holy  scriptures  our  rule,  in 
judging  of  the  nature  of  true  religion,  and  judging  of  our  own  re- 
ligious qualifications  and  state;  it  concerns  us  greatly  to  look  at 
this  humiliation,  as  one  of  the  most  essential  things  pertaining  to 
true  Christianty.f  This  is  the  principal  part  of  the  great  christian 
duty  of  self-denial.  That  duty  consists  in  two  things,  viz.  first^ 
In  a  man's  denying  his  worldly  inclinations,  and  in  forsaking  and 
renouncing  all  worldly  objects  and  enjoyments;  and,  secondly,  In 
denying  his  natural  self- exaltation,  and  renouncing  his  own  dig- 
nity and  glory,  and  in  being  emptied  of  himself;  so  that  he  does 
freely  and  from  his  very  heart,  as  it  were,  renounce  himself,  and 
annihilate  himself.  Thus  the  Christian  doth  in  evangelical  hu- 
miliation. And  this  latter  is  the  greatest  and  most  difficult  part 
of  self-denial:  although  they  always  go  together,  and  one  never 
truly  is,  where  the  other  is  not;  yet  natural  men  can  come  much 
nearer  to  the  former  than  the  latter.  Many  anchorites  and  re- 
cluses have  abandoned  (though  without  any  true  mortification) 

■j- Calvin,  in  his  Institutions,  Book,  II.  chap  2,  §  11,  says,  "I  was  always 
exceedingly  pleased  with  that  saying  of  Chrysostom,  "The  foundation  of 
our  philosophy  is  humility;"  and  yet  more  pleased  with  that  of  Augustine. 
"  As,  says  he,  the  rhetorician  being  asked,  what  was  the  first  thing  in  the 
rules  of  eloquence,  he  answered,  pronunciation;  what  was  the  second,  pro- 
nunciation; what  was  the  third,  still  he  answered,  pronunciation.  So  if  you 
shall  ask  me  concerning  the  precepts  of  the  christian  religion,  I  would  an- 
•awer,  firstly,  secondly,  and  thirdly,  and  forever,  humility." 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  265 

the  wealth,  and  pleasures,  and  common  enjoyments  of  the  world, 
who  were  far  irom  renouncing  their  own  dignity  and  righteous- 
ness; they  never  denied  themselves  for  Christ,  but  only  sold  one 
lust  to  feed  another,  sold  a  beastly  lust  to  pamper  a  devilish  one; 
so  were  never  the  better,  but  their  latter  end  u'as  worse  than  their 
beginning;  they  turned  out  one  black  devil  to  let  in  seven  white 
ones,  that  were  worse  than  the  first,  though  of  a  fairer  counte- 
nance. It  is  inexpressible  and  almost  inconceivable,  how  strong 
a  self-righteous,  self-exalting  disposition  is  naturally  in  man;  and 
what  he  will  not  do  and  suffer  to  feed  and  gratify  it;  and  what 
lengths  have  been  gone  in  a  seeming  self-denial  in  other  respects, 
by  Essenes  and  Pharisees  among  the  Jews,  and  by  Papists,  many 
sects  of  heretics,  and  enthusiasts,  among  professing  Christians; 
and  by  many  Mahometans;  and  by  Pythagorean  philosophers, 
and  others  among  the  Heathen;  and  all  to  do  sacrifice  to  this 
Moloch  of  spiritual  pride  or  self-righteousness;  and  that  they  may 
have  something  wherein  to  exalt  themselves  before  God,  and  above 
their  fellow  creatures. 

That  humiliation  which  has  been  spoken  of,  is  what  all  the 
most  glorious  hypocrites,  who  make  the  most  splendid  show  of 
mortification  to  the  world,  and  high  religious  affections,  do  grossly 
fail  in.  Were  it  not  that  this  is  so  much  insisted  on  in  scripture, 
as  a  most  essential  thing  in  true  grace,  one  would  be  tempted  to 
think  that  many  of  the  heathen  philosophers  were  truly  gracious, 
in  whom  was  so  bright  an  appearance  of  many  virtues,  and  also 
great  illuminations,  and  inward  fervours  and  elevations  of  mind, 
as  though  they  were  truly  the  subjects  of  divine  illapses  and 
heavenly  communications.!     It  is  true  that  many  hypocrites  make 

•{■  "Albeit  the  Pytliagoreans  were  thus  famous  for  Judaic  mysterious  wis- 
dom, and  many  moral,  as  well  as  natural  accomplishments,  yet  were  they 
not  exempted  from  boasting  and  pride;  which  was  indeed  a  vice  most  epi- 
demic, and  as  it  were  congenial,  among  all  the  philosophers;  but  in  a  more 
particular  manner,  among  the  Pythagoreans.  So  Hornius  Hist.  I'hilosoph. 
L.  3.  chap.  xi.  The  manner  of  the  Pythagoreans  were  not  free  from  boast- 
ing. They  were  all  such  as  abounded  in  the  sense  and  commendation  of 
their  own  excellencies,  and  boasting  even  almost  to  the  degree  of  immodesty 
and  impudence,  as  great  lieinsius,  ad  Horat.  has  rightly  observed,  ,  Thus  in- 


266  SIXTH  SIGN  ov 

great  pretences  to  humility,  as  well  as  other  graces;  and  very  often 
there  is  nothing  whatsoever  which  they  make  a  higher  profession 
of.  They  endeavour  to  make  a  great  show  of  humility  in  speech 
and  behaviour;  but  they  commonly  make  bungling  work  of  it, 
though  glorious  work  in  their  own  eyes.  They  can  not  find  out 
what  a  humble  speech  and  behaviour  is,  or  how  to  speak  and  act 
so  that  there  may  indeed  be  a  savour  of  christian  humility  in  what 
they  say  and  do:  that  sweet  humble  air  and  mien  is  beyond  their 
art,  being  not  led  by  the  Spirit,  or  naturally  guided  to  a  behaviour 
becoming  holy  humility,  by  the  vigor  of  a  lowly  spirit  within  them. 
And  therefore  they  have  no  other  way,  many  of  them,  but  only 
to  be  much  in  declaring  that  they  be  humble,  and  telling  how 
they  were  humbled  to  the  dust  at  such  and  such  times,  and  abounding 
in  very  bad  expressions  which  they  use  about  themselves;  such  as, 
"I  am  the  least  of  all  saints,  I  am  a  poor,  vile  creature,  I  am  not 
worthy  of  the  least  mercy,  or  that  God  should  look  upon  me! 
Oh,  I  have  a  dreadful  wicked  heart!  My  heart  is  worse  than  the 
devil!  Oh,  this  cursed  heart  of  mine,"  &c.  Such  expressions  are 
very  often  used,  not  with  a  heart  that  is  broken,  not  with  spiritual 
mourning,  not  with  the  tears  of  her  that  washed  Jesus'  feet,  not 
as  "  remembering  and  being  confounded,  and  never  opening  their 
mouth  more  because  of  their  shame,  when  God  is  pacified,"  as 

deed  does  proud  nature  delight  to  walk  in  the  sparks  of  its  own  fire.  And 
although  many  of  these  old  philosophers  could,  by  the  strength  of  their  own 
lights  and  heats,  together  with  some  common  elevations  and  raisures  of 
spirit,  (peradvenlure  from  a  more  than  ordinary,  though  not  special  and 
saving  assistance  of  the  Spirit)  abandon  many  grosser  vices;  yet  they  were 
all  deeply  immersed  in  that  miserable  cursed  abyss  of  spiritual  pride:  so 
that  all  their  natural,  and  moral,  and  philosophic  attainments,  did  feed,  nou- 
rish, strengthen  and  render  most  inveterate  this  hell-bred  pest  of  their  hearts. 
Yea,  those  of  them  that  seemed  most  modest,  as  the  Academics,  who  pro- 
fessed they  knew  nothing,  and  the  Cynics,  who  greatly  decried,  both  in 
words  and  habits,  the  pride  of  others,  yet  even  they  abounded  in  the  most 
notorious  and  visible  pride.  So  connatural  and  morally  essential  to  corrupt 
nature,  is  this  evenomed  root,  fountain,  and  plague  of  spiritual  pride;  espe- 
cially where  there  is  any  natural,  moral,  or  philosophic  excellence  to  feed 
the  same.  Whence,  Austin  rightly  judged  all  these  philosophic  virtues  to 
he  but  splendid  sins.     Gale's  Court  of  the  Gentiles,  Part  II.  B.  ii.  chap.  x.  §  17. 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  261 

Uie  expression  is,  Ezek.  xvi.  63,  but  with  a  light  air,  with  smiles 
in  the  countenance,  or  with  a  pharisaical  affection:  and  we  must 
believe  that  they  are  thus  humble,  and  see  themselves  so  vile, 
upon  the  credit  of  their  say  so;  for  there  is  nothing  appears  in 
them  of  any  savour  of  humility,  in  the  manner  of  their  deportment 
and  deeds  that  they  do.  There  are  many  that  are  full  of  expres- 
sions of  their  own  vileness,  who  yet  expect  to  be  looked  upon  as 
eminent  and  bright  saints  by  others,  as  their  due;  and  it  is  danger- 
ous for  any,  so  much  as  to  hint  the  contrary,  or  to  carry  it  towards 
them  any  otherwise,  than  as  if  we  looked  upon  them  as  some  of 
the  chief  of  Christians.  There  are  many  that  are  much  in  crying 
out  of  their  wicked  hearts,  and  their  great  short  comings,  and  un- 
profitableness, and  speaking  as  though  they  looked  on  themselves 
as  the  meanest  of  the  saints;  who  yet,  if  a  minister  should  seriously 
tell  them  the  same  things  in  private,  and  should  signify,  that  he 
feared  they  were  very  low  and  weak  Christians,  and  thought  they 
had  reason  solemnly  to  consider  of  their  great  barrenness  and  un- 
profitableness, and  falling  so  much  short  of  many  others,  it  would 
be  more  than  they  could  digest;  they  would  think  themselves 
highly  injured;  and  there  would  be  a  danger  of  a  rooted  prejudice 
in  them  against  such  a  minister. 

There  are  some  that  are  abundant  in  talking  against  legal 
doctrines,  legal  preaching,  and  a  legal  spirit,  who  do  but  little  un- 
derstand the  thing  they  talk  against.  A  legal  spirit  is  a  more 
subtle  thing  than  they  imagine;  it  is  too  subtle  for  them.  It  lurks, 
and  operates,  and  prevails  in  their  hearts,  and  they  are  most  no- 
toriously guilty  of  it,  at  the  same  time  when  they  are  inveighing 
against  it.  So  far  a  man  is  not  emptied  of  himself,  and  of  his 
own  righteousness  and  goodness,  in  whatever  form  or  shape,  so 
far  he  is  of  a  legal  spirit.  A  spirit  of  pride  of  man's  own  righteous- 
ness, morality,  holiness,  affection,  experience,  faith,  humiliation, 
or  any  goodness  whatsoever,  is  a  legal  spirit.  It  was  no  pride  in 
Adam  before  the  fall,  to  be  of  a  legal  spirit;  because  of  his  cir- 
cumstances he  might  seek  acceptance  by  his  own  righteousness. 
But  a  legal  spirit  in  a  fallen,  sinful  creature,  can  be  nothing  else 
but  spiritual  pride;  and  reciprocally,  a  spiritually  proud  spirit  is 


268  SIXTH  SIGN  OP 

a  legal  spirit.  There  is  no  man  living  that  is  lifted  up  with  a 
conceit  of  his  own  experiences  and  discoveries,  and  upon  the  ac- 
count of  them  glisters  in  his  own  eyes,  but  what  trusts  in  his  ex- 
periences, and  makes  a  righteousness  of  them;  however  he  may 
use  humble  terms,  and  speak  of  his  experiences  as  of  the  great 
things  God  has  done  for  him,  and  it  may  be  calls  upon  others  to 
glorify  God  for  them;  yet  he  that  is  proud  of  his  experiences  ar- 
rogates something  to  himself,  as  though  his  experiences  were 
some  dignity  of  his.  And  if  he  looks  on  them  as  his  own  dignity, 
he  necessarily  thinks  that  God  looks  on  them  so  too;  for  he  neces- 
sarily thinks  his  own  opinion  of  them  to  be  true;  and  consequently 
judges  that  God  looks  on  them  as  he  does;  and  so  unavoidably 
imagines  that  God  looks  on  his  experiences  as  a  dignity  in  him, 
as  he  looks  on  them  himself;  and  that  he  glisters  as  much  in  God's 
eyes,  as  he  does  in  his  own.  And  thus  he  trusts  in  what  is  in- 
herent in  him,  to  make  him  shine  in  God's  sight,  and  recommend 
him  to  God:  and  with  this  encouragement  he  goes  before  God  in 
prayer;  and  this  makes  him  expect  much  from  God;  and  this 
makes  him  think  that  Christ  loves  him,  and  that  he  is  willing  to 
clothe  him  with  his  righteousness;  because  he  supposes  that  he  is 
\  taken  with  his  experiences  and  graces.  And  this  is  a  high  de- 
■^i^^'i  gree  of  living  on  his  own  righteousness;  and  such  persons  are  in 
I  the  high  road  to  hell.  Poor  deluded  wretches,  who  think  they 
/  look  so  glistering  in  God's  eyes,  when  they  are  a  smoke  in  his 
jnose,  and  are  many  of  them  more  odious  to  him  than  the  most 
'  impure  beast  in  Sodom,  that  makes  no  pretence  to  religion!  To 
do  as  these  do,  is  to  live  upon  experiences,  according  to  the  true 
notion  of  it;  and  not  to  do  as  those,  who  only  make  use  of  spirit- 
ual experiences,  as  evidences  of  a  state  of  grace,  and  in  that  way 
receive  hope  and  comfort  from  them. 

There  is  a  sort  of  men,  who  indeed  abundantly  cry  down 
works,  and  cry  up  faith  in  opposition  to  works,  and  set  up  them- 
selves very  much  as  evangelical  persons,  in  opposition  to  those 
that  are  of  a  legal  spirit,  and  make  a  fair  show  of  advancing 
Christ  and  the  gospel,  and  the  way  of  free  grace;  who  are  in- 
deed sopie  of  the  greatest  enemies  to  the  gospel  way  of  free 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  269 

grace,  and  tlie  most  dangerous  opposers  of  pure  humble  Chris- 
tianity.! 

There  is  a  pretended  great  humiliation,  and  being  dead  to  the 
law,  and  emptied  of  self,  which  is  one  of  the  biggest  and  most 
elated  things  in  the  world.  Some  there  are  who  have  made  great 
profession  of  experience  of  a  thorough  work  of  the  law  on  their 
hearts,  and  of  being  brought  fully  off  from  works;  whose  conver- 
sation has  savoured  most  of  a  self-righteous  spirit  of  any  that  ever 
I  had  opportunity  to  observe.  And  some  who  think  themselves 
quite  emptied  of  themselves,  and  are  confident  that  they  are 
abased  in  the  dust,  are  full  as  they  can  hold  with  the  glory  of  their 
own  humility,  and  lifted  up  to  heaven  with  a  high  opinion  of 
their  abifsement.  Their  humility  is  a  swelling,  self-conceited,  con- 
fident, showy,  noisy,  assuming  humility.  It  seems  to  be  the  na- 
ture of  spiritual  pride  to  make  men  conceited  and  ostentatious  of 
their  humility.  This  appears  in  that  first  born  of  pride  among 
the  children  of  men,  that  would  be  called  his  holiness,  even  the 
man  of  sin,  that  exalts  himself  above  all  that  is  called  God  or  is 
worshipped;  he  styles  himself  servant  of  servants;  and  to  make 

■j-  Take  not  every  opinion  and  doctrine  from  men  or  angels,  that  bears  a 
fair  show  of  advancing  Christ;  for  they  may  be  but  the  fruits  of  evangelical 
hypocrisy  and  deceit;  that  being  deceived  themselves,  may  deceive  otliera 
too;  Matt.  vii.  15,  "  Beware  of  them  that  come  in  sheep's  clotliing;  in  the 
innocency,  purity  and  meekness  of  Christ  and  his  people:  but  inwardly  are 
wolves,  proud,  cruel,  censorious,  speaking  evil  of  what  they  know  not. 
By  their  fruits  you  shall  know  them.  Do  not  think,  beloved,  tliat  Satan  will 
not  seek  to  send  delusions  among  us.  And  do  you  think  these  delusions 
will  come  out  of  the  popish  pack,  wliose  inventions  smell  above  ground 
here?  No,  he  must  come,  and  will  come  with  more  evangelical,  fine-spun 
devices.  It  is  a  rule  observed  among  Jesuits  at  this  day,  if  they  would  con- 
quer religion  by  subtlety,  never  oppose  religion  with  a  cross  religion;  but 
set  it  against  itself.  So  oppose  the  gospel  by  the  gospel.  And  look,  as 
churches  pleading  for  works,  had  new  invented  devised  works:  so  when 
faith  is  preached,  men  will  have  their  new  inventions  of  faith.  I  speak  not 
this  against  the  doctrine  of  faith,  where  it  is  preached;  but  am  glad  of  it: 
not  that  I  would  have  men  content  themselves  with  every  form  of  faith:  for 
I  believe  that  most  mens  faith  needs  confirming  or  trying.  But  I  speak  to 
prevent  danger  on  that  hand."     ShepartPs  Parable,  Part  I.  p.  122. 

2  r. 


270  SIXTH  SIGN  OF 

a  show  of  humility,  washes  the  feet  of  a  number  oT  poor  men  at 
his  inauguration. 

For  persons  to  be  truly  emptied  of  themselves,  and  to  be  poor 
in  spirit,  and  broken  in  heart,  is  quite  another  thing,  and  has 
other  effects  than  many  imagine.  It  is  astonishing  how  greatly 
many  are  deceived  about  themselves  as  to  this  matter,  imagining 
themselves  most  humble,  when  they  are  most  proud,  and  their 
behaviour  is  really  the  most  haughty.  The  deceitfulness  of  the 
heart  of  man  appears  in  no  one  thing  so  much  as  this  of  spi- 
ritual pride  and  self-righteousness.  The  subtlety  of  Satan  ap- 
pears in  its  height,  in  his  managing  of  persons  with  respect  to  this 
sin.  And  perhaps  one  reason  may  be,  that  here  he  has  most  ex- 
perience; he  knows  the  way  of  its  coming  in;  he  is  acquainted 
with  the  secret  springs  of  it:  it  was  his  own  sin.  Experience 
gives  vast  advantage  in  leading  souls,  either  in  good  or  evil. 

But  though  spiritual  pride  be  so  subtle  and  secret  an  iniquity, 
and  commonly  appears  under  a  pretext  of  great  humility;  yet 
there  are  two  things  by  which  it  maj  (perhaps  universally  and 
surely)  be  discovered  and  distinguished. 

The  first  thing  is  this;  he  that  is  under  the  prevalence  of  this 
distemper  is  apt  to  think  highly  of  his  attainments  in  religion,  as 
comparing  himself  with  others.  It  is  natural  for  him  to  fall  into 
that  thought  of  himself,  that  he  is  an  eminent  saint,  that  he  is  very 
high  amongst  the  saints,  and  has  distinguishingly  good  and  great 
experiences.  That  is  the  secret  language  of  his  heart;  Luke 
xviii.  11,  "  God,  I  thank  thee  that  I  am  not  as  other  men."  And 
Isa.  Ixv.  5,  "  I  am  holier  than  thou."  Hence  such  are  apt  to 
put  themselves  forward  among  God's  people,  and  as  it  were  to 
take  a  high  seat  among  them,  as  if  there  was  no  doubt  ol  it  but 
it  belonged  to  them.  They,  as  it  were,  naturally  do  that  which 
Christ  condemns;  Luke  xiv.  7,  &c.  take  the  highest  room.  This 
they  do,  by  being  forward  to  take  upon  them  the  place  and  bu- 
siness of  the  chief;  to  guide,  teach,  direct  and  manage;  "they 
are  confident  that  they  are  guides  to  the  blind,  a  light  of  them 
which  are  in  darkness,  instructors  of  the  foolish,  teachers  of  babes;" 
Rom.  ii.   19,  20.  It  is  natural  for  them  to  take  it  for  granted, 


GRACIOUS   AFFECTIONS.  271 

that  it  belongs  to  them  to  do  the  part  of  dictators  and  masters  in 
matters  of  religion;  and  so  they  implicitly  affect  to  be  called  of 
men  Rabbi,  which  is  by  interpretation  Master,  as  the  pharisees 
did;  Matt,  xxiii.  6,  7.  i.  e.  they  are  yet  apt  to  expect  that  others 
should  regard  them,  and  yield  to  them,  as  masters  in  matters  of 
religion.! 

But  he  whose  heart  is  under  the  power  of  christian  humility,  is 
of  a  contrary  disposition.  If  the  scriptures  are  at  all  to  be  relied 
on,  such  a  one  is  apt  to  think  his  attainments  in  religion  to  be 
comparatively  mean,  and  to  esteem  himself  low  among  the  saints, 
and  one  of  the  least  of  saints.  Humility  or  true  lowliness  of  mind, 
disposes  persons  to  think  others  better  than  themselves;  Phil.  ii.  3, 
"  In  lowliness  of  mind  let  each  esteem  others  better  than  them- 
selves." Hence  they  are  apt  to  think  the  lowest  room  belongs 
to  them,  and  their  inward  disposition  naturally  leads  them  to  obey 
that  precept  of  our  Saviour,  Luke  xiv.  10,  It  is  not  natural  to 
them  to  take  it  upon  them  to  do  the  part  of  teachers;  but  on  the 
contrary,  they  are  disposed  to  think  that  they  are  not  the  persons, 
that  others  are  better  fitted  for  it  than  they;  as  it  was  with  Moses 
and  Jeremiah,  (Exod.  iii.  11,  Jer.  i.  6,)  though  they  were  such 
eminent  saints,  and  of  great  knowledge.  It  is  not  natural  to  them 
to  think  that  it  belongs  to  them  to  teach,  but  to  be  taught:  they 
are  much  more  eager  to  hear  and  to  receive  instruction  from  others, 
than  to  dictate  to  others,  Jam.  i.  19,  "  Be  ye  swift  to  hear,  slow 
to  speak."  And  when  they  do  speak,  it  is  not  natural  to  them 
to  speak  with  a  bold,  masterly  air;  but  humility  disposes  them  ra- 
ther to  speak  trembling.  Hos.  xiii.  1,  "  When  Ephraim  spake, 
trembling,  he  exalted  himself  in  Israel;  but  when  he  offended  in 
Baal,  he  died."  They  are  not  apt  to  assume  authority,  and  to 
take  upon  them  to  be  chief  managers  and  masters;  but  rather  to 

f  "  There  be  two  things  wherein  it  appears  that  a  man  has  only  common 
gifts,  and  no  inward  principle:  1.  These  gifts  ever  puff  up,  and  make  a  man 
something  in  his  own  eyes,  as  the  Corinthian  knowledge  did,  and  many  a 
private  man  thinks  himself  fit  to  be  a  minister."  ShepartVs  Parable,  Part  I, 
p.  181, 182. 


372  SIXTH  SIGN  OF 

be  subject  to  others;  Jam.  iii.  1,2,"  Be  not  many  masters."  1 
Pet.  V.  5,  "  All  of  you  be  subject  one  to  another,  and  be  clothed 
with  humility."  Eph.  v.  21,  "  Submitting  yourselves  one  to  an- 
other in  the  fear  of  God." 

There  are  some  persons'  experiences  that  naturally  work  that 
way,  to  make  them  think  highly  of  them;  and  they  do  often  them- 
selves speak  of  their  experiences  as  very  great  and  extraordinary; 
they  freely  speak  of  the  great  things  they  have  met  with.  This 
may  be  spoken  and  meant  in  a  good  sense.  In  one  sense  every 
degree  of  saving  mercy  is  a  great  thing:  it  is  indeed  a  thing  great, 
yea,  infinitely  great,  for  God  to  bestow  the  least  crumb  of  chil- 
drens  bread  on  such  dogs  as  we  are  in  ourselves;  and  the  more 
humble  a  person  is  that  hopes  that  God  has  bestowed  such  mercy 
on  him,  the  more  apt  will  he  be  to  call  it  a  great  thing  that  he 
has  met  with  in  this  sense.  But  if  by  great  things  which  they 
have  experienced,  they  mean  comparatively  great  spiritual  experi- 
ences, or  great  compared  with  others'  experiences,  or  beyond 
what  is  ordinary,  which  is  evidently  oftentimes  the  case:  then  for 
a  person  to  say,  I  have  met  with  great  things,  is  the  very  same 
thing  as  to  say,  I  am  an  eminent  saint,  and  have  more  grace  than 
ordinary;  for  to  have  great  experiences,  if  the  experiences  be  true 
and  worth  telling  of,  is  the  same  thing  as  to  have  great  grace. 
There  is  no  true  experience,  but  the  exercise  of  grace;  and  exact- 
ly according  to  the  degree  of  true  ex^perience,  is  the  degree  of 
grace  and  holiness.  The  persons  that  talk  thus  about  their  expe- 
riences, when  they  give  an  account  of  them,  expect  that  others 
should  admire  them.  Indeed  they  do  not  call  it  boasting  to  talk 
after  this  manner  about  their  experiences,  nor  do  they  look  upon 
it  as  any  sign  of  pride;  because  they  say,  "  they  know  that  it 
was  not  they  that  did  it,  it  was  free  grace,  they  are  things 
that  God  has  done  for  them,  they  would  acknowledge  the  great 
mercy  God  has  shown  to  them,  and  not  make  light  of  it."  But 
so  it  was  with  the  pharisee  that  Christ  tells  us  of,  Luke  xviii. 
He  in  words  gave  God  the  glory  of  making  him  to  differ  from 
other  men;  God,  I  thank  thee,  says  he,  that  I  am  not  as  other 


GRACIOUS   AFFECTIONS.  273 

inen.f  Their  verbally  ascribing  it  to  the  grace  of  God,  that  they 
are  holier  than  other  saints,  does  not  hinder  their  forwardness  to 
think  so  highly  of  their  holiness,  being  a  sure  evidence  of  the  pride 
and  vanity  of  their  minds.  If  they  were  under  the  influence  of 
a  humble  spirit,  their  attainments  in  religion  would  not  be  so  apt 
to  shine  in  their  own  eyes,  nor  would  they  be  so  much  in  admiring 
their  own  beauty.  The  Christians  that  are  really  the  most  emi- 
nent saints,  and  therefore  have  the  most  excellent  experiences, 
and  arc  the  greatest  in  the  kingdom  of  heaven,  humble  themselves 
as  a  little  child,  Matth.  viii.  4,  because  they  look  on  themselves 
as  but  little  children  in  grace,  and  their  attainments  to  be  but  the 
attainments  of  babes  in  Christ,  and  are  astonished  at,  and  ashamed 
of  the  low  degrees  of  their  love,  and  their  thankfulness,  and  their 
little  knowledge  of  God.  Moses,  when  he  had  been  conversing 
with  God  in  the  mount,  and  his  face  shone  so  bright  in  the  eyes 
of  others  as  to  dazzle  their  eyes,  wist  not  that  his  face  shone. 
There  are  some  persons  that  go  by  the  name  of  high  professors, 
and  some  will  own  themselves  to  be  high  professors;  but  eminently 
humble  saints,  that  will  shine  brightest  in  heaven,  are  not  at  all 
apt  to  profess  high.  I  do  not  believe  there  is  an  eminent  saint  in 
the  world  that  is  a  high  professor.  Such  w^ill  be  much  more 
likely  to  profess  themselves  to  be  least  of  all  saints,  and  to  think 
that  every  saint's  attainments  and  experiences  are  higher  than 
his.l 

I  Calvin,  in  his  Institutions,  B.  III.  chap.  xii.  §  7,  speaking  of  this  pharisee, 
observes,  "  That  in  his  outward  confession,  he  acknowledges  that  the 
righteousness  he  has  is  the  gift  of  God:  but  (says  he)  because  he  trusts  that 
he  is  righteous,  he  goes  away  out  of  the  presence  of  God,  unacceptable  and 
odious." 

t  Luther,  as  his  words  are  cited  by  Rutherford,  in  his  Display  of  the  Spi- 
ritual Antichrist,  p.  14o,  144,  says  thus,  "  So  is  the  life  of  a  Christian,  that  he 
that  has  begun;  seems  to  himself  to  have  nothing;  but  strives  and  presses 
forward  that  he  may  apprehend.  Whence  Paul  says,  «  I  count  not  my- 
self to  have  apprehended.  For  indeed  nolliing  is  more  pernicious  to  a 
believer  than  that  presumption,  that  he  has  already  apprehended,  and  has 
no  further  need  of  seeking.  Hence  also  many  fall  back,  and  pine  away  in 
spiritual  security  and  slothfulness.  So  Bernard  says, '  To  stand  still  in  God's 
way,  is  to  go  back.'    Wherefore  this  remains  to  him  that  he  has  begun  to 


274  SIXTH  ^IGN  OF 

-i  Such  is  the  nature  of  grace  and  of  true  spiritual  light,  that  they 
naturally  dispose  the  saints  in  the  present  state,  to  look  upon  their 
grace  and  goodness  little,  and  their  deformity  great.  And  they 
that  have  the  most  grace  and  spiritual  light,  of  any  in  this  world, 
have  most  of  this  disposition.  As  will  appear  most  clear  and  evi- 
dent to  any  one  that  soberly  and  thoroughly  weighs  the  nature 
and  reason  of  things,  and  considers  the  things  following. 

That  grace  and  holiness  is  worthy  to  be  called  little,  that  is, 
little  in  comparison  of  what  it  ought  to  be.  And  so  it  seems  to 
one  that  is  truly  gracious:  for  such  a  one  has  his  eye  upon  the 
rule  of  his  duty;  a  conformity  to  that  is  what  he  aims  at;  it  is 
what  his  soul  struggles  and  reaches  after;  and  it  is  by  that  that  he 
estimates  and  judges  of  what  he  does,  and  what  he  has.  To  a 
gracious  soul,  and  especially  to  one  eminently  gracious,  that  holi- 
ness appears  little,  which  is  little  of  what  it  should  be;  little  of 
what  he  sees  infinite  reason  for,  and  obligation  to.  If  his  holi- 
ness appears  to  him  to  be  at  a  vast  distance  from  this,  it  naturally 
appears  despicable  in  his  eyes,  and  not  worthy  to  be  mentioned 
as  any  beauty  or  amiableness  in  him.  For  the  like  reason  as  a 
hungry  man  naturally  accounts  that  which  is  set  before  him,  but  a 
little  food,  a  small  matter,  not  worth  mentioning,  that  is  nothing 
in  comparison  of  his  appetite.  Or  as  the  child  of  a  great  prince,  that 
is  jealous  for  the  honour  of  his  father,  and  beholds  the  respect 
which  men  show  him,  naturally  looks  on  that  honour  and  respect 
very  little,  and  not  worthy  to  be  regarded,  which  is  nothing  in 
comparison  of  that  which  the  dignity  of  his  father  requires. 

But  that  is  the  nature  of  true  grace  and  spiritual  light,  that  it 
opens  to  a  person's  view  the  infinite  reason  there  is  that  he  should 
be  holy  in  a  high  degree.     And  the  more  grace  he  has,  the  more 

be  a  Christian,  to  think  that  he  is  not  yet  a  Christian,  but  to  seek  that  he  may 
be  a  Christian,  that  he  may  glory  with  Paul, '  I  am  not,  but  I  desire  to  be;'  a 
Christian  not  yet  finished,  but  only  in  his  beginnings.  Therefore  he  is  not 
a  Christian,  that  is  a  Christian;  that  is,  he  that  thinks  himself  a  finished 
Christian,  and  is  not  sensible  how  he  falls  short.  We  reach  after  heaven, 
but  are  not  in  heaven.  Wo  to  him  that  is  wholly  renewed;  that  is,  that  thinks 
himself  to  be  so.  That  man,  without  doubt,  has  never  so  much  as  begun  t.o 
be  renewed,  nor  did  he  ever  taste  what  it  is  to  be  a  Christian." 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  275. 

this  is  opened  to  view,  the  greater  sense  he  has  of  the  infinite  ex- 
cellency and  glory  of  the  divine  Being,  and  of  the  infinite  dignity 
of  the  person  of  Christ,  and  the  boundless  length  and  breadth,  and 
depth  and  height,  of  the  love  of  Christ  to  sinners.  And  as  grace 
increases,  the  field  opens  more  and  more  to  a  distant  view,  until 
the  soul  is  swallowed  up  with  the  vastness  of  the  object,  and  the 
person  is  astonished  to  think  how  much  it  becomes  him  to  love 
this  God,  and  this  glorious  Redeemer,  that  has  so  loved  man,  and 
how  little  he  does  love.  And  so  the  more  he  apprehends,  the 
more  the  smallness  of  his  grace  and  love  appears  strange  and 
wonderful:  and  therefore  is  more  ready  to  think  that  others  are 
beyond  him.  For  wondering  at  the  littleness  of  his  own  grace, 
he  can  scarcely  believe  that  so  strange  a  thing  happens  to  othei: 
saints:  it  is  amazing  to  him,  that  one  that  is  really  a  child  of  God, 
and  that  has  actually  received  the  saving  benefits  of  that  unspeak- 
able love  of  Christ,  should  love  no  more:  and  he  is  apt  to  look 
upon  it  as  a  thing  peculiar  to  himself,  a  strange  and  exempt  in- 
stance; for  he  sees  only  the  outside  of  other  Christians,  but  he  sees 
his  own  inside. 

Here  the  reader  may  possibly  object,  that  love  to  God  is  really 
increased  in  proportion  as  the  knowledge  of  God  is  increased; 
and  therefore  how  should  an  increase  of  knowledge  in  a  saint 
make  his  love  appear  less,  in  comparison  of  what  is  known?  To 
which  I  answer,  that  although  grace  and  the  love  of  God  in  the 
saints,  be  answerable  to  the  degree  of  knowledge  or  sight  of  God; 
yet  it  is  not  in  proportion  to  the  object  seen  and  known.  The 
soul  of  a  saint,  by  having  something  of  God  opened  to  sight,  is 
convinced  of  much  more  than  is  seen.  There  is  something  that 
is  seen,  that  is  wonderful;  and  that  sight  brings  with  it  a  strong 
conviction  of  something  vastly  beyond,  that  is  not  immediately 
seen.  So  that  the  soul  at  the  same  time,  is  astonished  at  its  ig- 
norance, and  that  it  knows  so  little,  as  well  as  that  it  loves  so 
little.  And  as  the  soul,  in  a  spiritual  view,  is  convinced  of  in- 
finitely  more  in  the  object,  yet  beyond  sight;  so  it  is  convinced  of 
the  capacity  of  the  soul,  of  knowing  vastly  more,  if  the  clouds 
and  darkness  were  but  removed.      Which  causes  the  soul,  in  the 


276  SIXTH    SIGN    OP 

enjoyment  of  a  spiritual  view,  to  complain  greatly  of  spiritual  ig- 
norance, and  want  of  love,  and  to  long  and  reach  after  more 
knowledge  and  more  love. 

Grace  and  the  love  of  God  in  the  most  eminent  saints  in  this 
world,  is  truly  very  little  in  comparison  of  what  it  ought  to  be. 
Because  the  highest  love  that  ever  any  attain  to  in  this  life,  is  poor, 
cold,  exceeding  low,  and  not  worthy  to  be  named  in  comparison 
of  what  our  obligations  appear  to  be,  from  the  joint  consideration 
of  these  two  things,  viz.  1.  The  reason  God  has  given  us  to  love 
him,  in  the  manifestations  he  has  made  of  his  infinite  glory,  in  his 
word,  and  in  his  works;  and  particularly  in  the  gospel  of  his  Son, 
and  what  he  has  done  for  sinful  man  by  him.  And,  2.  The  ca- 
pacity there  is  in  the  soul  of  man,  by  those  intellectual  faculties 
which  God  has  given  it,  of  seeing  and  understanding  these  reasons, 
which  God  has  given  us  to  love  him.  How  small  indeed  is  the 
love  of  the  most  eminent  saint  on  earth,  in  comparison  of  what 
these  things,  jointly  considered,  do  require!  And  this  grace  tends 
to  convince  men  of  this,  and  especially  eminent  grace;  for  grace 
is  of  the  nature  of  light,  and  brings  truth  to  view.  And  therefore 
lie  that  has  much  grace,  apprehends  much  more  than  others  that 
great  height  to  which  his  love  ought  to  ascend;  and  he  sees  better 
than  others,  how  little  a  way  he  has  risen  towards  that  height. 
And  therefore  estimating  his  love  by  the  whole  height  of  his  duty, 
hence  it  appears  astonishingly  little  and  low  in  his  eyes. 

And  the  eminent  saint,  having  such  a  conviction  of  the  high  de- 
gree in  which  he  ought  to  love  God,  this  shows  him,  not  only  the 
littleness  of  his  grace,  but  the  greatness  of  his  remaining  corrup- 
tion. In  order  to  judge  how  much  corruption  or  sin  we  have  re- 
maining in  us,  we  must  take  our  measure  from  that  height  to  which 
the  rule  of  our  duty  extends:  the  whole  of  the  distance  we  are  at 
from  that  height,  is  sin:  for  failing  of  duty  is  sin;  otherwise  our 
duty  is  not  our  duty,  and  by  how  much  the  more  we  fall  short  of 
our  duty,  so  much  the  more  sin  have  we.  Sin  is  no  other  than 
disagreeableness,  in  a  moral  agent,  to  the  law  or  rule  of  his  duty. 
And  therefore  the  degree  of  sin  is  to  be  judged  of  by  the  rule:  so 
much  disagreeableness  to  the  rule,  so  much  sin,  whether  it  be  in 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  277 

defect  or  excess.  Therefore  if  men,  in  their  love  to  God,  do  not 
come  up  half  way  to  that  height  which  duty  requires,  then  they 
have  more  corruption  in  their  hearts  than  grace;  because  there 
is  more  goodness  wanting  than  is  there:  and  all  that  is  wanting 
is  sin:  it  is  an  abominable  defect;  and  appears  so  to  the  saints; 
especially  those  that  are  eminent;  it  appears  exceeding  abomina- 
ble to  them,  that  Christ  should  be  loved  so  little,  and  thanked  so 
little  for  his  dying  love:  it  is  in  their  eyes  hateful  ingratitude. 

And  then  the  increase  of  grace  has  a  tendency  another  way,  to 
cause  the  saints  to  think  their  deformity  vastly  more  than  their 
goodness:  it  not  only  tends  to  convince  them  that  their  corrup- 
tion is  much  greater  than  their  goodness,  which  is  indeed  the  case; 
but  it  also  tends  to  cause  the  deformity  that  there  is  in  the  least 
sin,  or  the  least  degree  of  corruption,  to  appear  so  great  as  vastly 
to  outweigh  all  the  beauty  there  is  in  their  greatest  holiness;  for 
this  also  is  indeed  the  case.  For  the  least  sin  against  an  infinite  God, 
has  an  infinite  hatefulness  or  deformity  in  it;  but  the  highest  de- 
gree of  holiness  in  a  creature,  has  not  an  infinite  loveliness  in  it: 
and  therefore  the  loveliness  of  it  is  as  nothing,  in  comparison  of 
the  deformity  of  the  least  sin.  That  every  sin  has  infinite  deformity 
and  hatefulness  in  it,  is  most  demonstrably  evident;  because  what 
the  evil,  or  iniquity,  or  hatefulness  of  sin  consists  in,  is  the  vio- 
lating of  an  obligation,  or  the  being  or  doing  contrary  to  what  we 
should  be  or  do,  or  are  obliged  to.  And  therefore  by' how  much 
the  greater  the  obligation  is  that  is  violated,  so  much  the  greater 
is  the  iniquity  and  hatefulness  of  the  violation.  But  certainly  our 
obligation  to  love  and  honour  any  being  is  in  some,  proportion  to 
his  loveliness  and  honourableness,  or  to  his  worthiness  to  be  loved 
and  honoured  by  us;  which  is  the  same  thing.  We  are  surely 
under  greater  obligation  to  love  a  more  lovely  being,  than  a  less 
lovely;  and  if  a  being  be  infinitely  lovely  or  worthy  to  be  loved 
by  us,  then  our  obligations  to  love  him  are  infinitely  great;  and 
therefore,  whatever  is  contrary  to  this  love,  has  in  it  infinite  ini- 
quity, deformity  and  unworthiness.  But  on  the  other  hand,  with 
respect  to  our  holiness  or  love  to  God,  there  is  not  an  infinite 
worthiness  in  that.  The  sin  of  the  creature  against  God,  is  ill« 
2  m 


2*78  SIXTH  SIG^•  of 

deserving  and  hateful  in  proportion  to  the  distance  there  is  be- 
tween God  and  the  creature:  the  greatness  of  the  object,  and  the 
meanness  and  inferiority  of  the  subject,  aggravates  it.  But  it  is 
the  reverse  with  regard  to  the  worthiness  of  the  respect  of  the 
creature  to  God;  it  is  worthless,  and  not  worthy,  in  proportion  to 
the  meanness  of  the  subject.  So  much  the  greater  the  distance 
between  God  and  the  creature,  so  much  the  less  is  the  creature's 
respect  worthy  of  God's  notice  or  regard.  The  great  degree  of 
superiority  increases  the  obligation  on  the  inferior  to  regard  the 
superior;  and  so  makes  the  want  of  regard  more  hateful:  but  the 
great  degree  of  inferiority  diminishes  the  worth  of  the  regard  of 
the  inferior;  because  the  more  he  is  inferior,  the  less  he  is  worthy 
of  notice;  the  less  he  is,  the  less  is  what  he  can  offer  worth;  for 
he  can  offer  no  more  than  himself,  in  offering  his  best  respect;  and 
therefore  he  is  little,  and  little  worth,  so  is  his  respect  little  worth. 
And  the  more  a  person  has  of  true  grace  and  spiritual  light,  the 
more  will  it  appear  thus  to  him;  the  more  will  he  appear  to  him- 
self infinitely  deformed  by  reason  of  sin,  and  the  less  will  the  good- 
ness that  is  in  his  grace,  or  good  experience,  appear  in  proportion 
to  it.  For  indeed  it  is  nothing  to  it;  it  is  less  than  a  drop  to  the 
ocean;  for  finite  bears  no  proportion  at  all  to  that  which  is  infinite. 
But  the  more  a  person  has  of  spiritual  light,  the  more  do  things  ap- 
pear to  him,  in  this  respect,  as  they  are  indeed.  Hence  it  most 
demonstrably  appears,  that  true  grace  is  of  that  nature,  that  the 
more  a  person  has  of  it,  with  remaining  corruption,  the  less  does 
his  goodness  and  holiness  appear,  in  proportion  to  his  deformity; 
and  not  only  to  his  past  deformity,  but  to  his  present  deformity, 
in  the  sin  that  now  appears  in  his  heart,  and  in  the  abominable 
defects  of  his  highest  and  best  affections,  and  brightest  experiences. 
The  nature  of  many  high  and  religious  affections,  and  great 
discoveries  (as  they  are  called)  in  many  persons  that  I  have  been 
acquainted  with,  is  to  hide  and  cover  over  the  corruption  of  their 
hearts,  and  to  make  it  seem  to  them  as  if  all  their  sin  was  gone, 
and  to  leave  them  without  complaints  of  any  hateful  evil  left  in 
them;  (though  it  may  be  they  cry  out  much  of  their  past  unwor- 
thiness)  a  sure  and  certain  evidence  that  their  discoveries  (as  they 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS,  279 

call  them)  are  darkness  ami  not  light.  It  is  darkness  that  hides 
mens  pollution  and  deformity;  but  light  let  into  the  heart  disco- 
vers it,  searches  it  out  in  its  secret  corners,  and  makes  it  plainly 
to  appear,  especially  that  penetrating,  all-searching  light  of  God's 
holiness  and  glory.  It  is  true  that  saving  discoveries  may  for 
the  present  hide  corruption  in  one  sense;  they  restrain  the  posi- 
tive exercises  of  it,  such  as  malice,  envy,  covetousness,  lascivious- 
ness,  murmuring,  &,c.  but  they  bring  corruption  to  light  in  that 
which  is  privative,  viz.  that  there  is  no  more  love,  no  more  hu- 
mility, no  more  thankfulness.  Which  defects  appear  most  hate- 
ful in  the  eyes  of  those  who  have  the  most  eminent  exercises  of 
grace,  and  are  very  burdensome,  and  cause  the  saints  to  cry  out 
of  their  leanness,  and  odious  pride  and  ingratitude.  And  what- 
ever positive  exercises  of  corruption  at  any  time  arise,  and  mingle 
themselves  with  eminent  actings  of  grace,  grace  will  exceedingly 
magnify  the  view  of  them,  and  render  their  appearance  far  more 
heinous  and  horrible. 

The  more  eminent  saints  are,  and  the  more  they  have  of  the 
light  of  heaven  in  their  souls,  the  more  do  they  appear  to  them- 
selves, as  the  most  eminent  saints  in  this  world  do,  to  the  saints 
and  angels  in  heaven.  How  can  we  rationally  suppose  the  most 
eminent  saints  on  earth  appear  to  them,  if  beheld  any  otherwise 
than  covered  over  with  the  righteousness  of  Christ,  and  their  de- 
formities swallowed  up  and  hid  in  the  coruscation  of  the  beams 
of  his  abundant  glory  and  love?  How  can  we  suppose  our  most 
ardent  love  and  praises  appear  to  them,  that  do  behold  the  beau- 
ty and  glory  of  God  without  a  veil  ?  How  does  our  highest  thank- 
fulness for  the  dying  love  of  Christ  appear  to  them,  who  see 
Christ  as  he  is,  who  know  as  they  are  known,  and  see  the  glory 
of  the  person  of  him  that  died,  and  the  wonders  of  his  dying 
love,  without  any  cloud  of  darkness?  And  how  do  they  look  on 
the  deepest  reverence  and  humility,  with  which  worms  of  the 
dust  on  earth  approach  that  infinite  Majesty  which  they  behold? 
Do  they  appear  great  to  them,  or  so  much  as  worthy  of  the  name 
of  reverence  and  humility,  in  those  that  they  see  to  be  at  such  an 
infinite  distance  jrom  that  great  and  holy  God,  in  whose  glorioir; 


SIXTH    SIGN    OP 

presence  they  are?  The  reason  why  the  highest  attainments  ol'thc 
saints  on  earth  appear  so  mean  to  them,  is  because  they  dwell  in 
the  light  of  God's  glory,  and  see  God  as  he  is.  And  it  is  in  this 
respect  with  the  saints  on  earth,  as  it  is  with  the  saints  in  hea- 
ven, in  proportion  as  they  are  more  eminent  in  grace. 

I  would  not  be  understood  that  the  saints  on  earth  have  in  all 
respects  the  worst  opinion  of  themselves,  when  they  have  most  of 
the  exercise  of  grace.  In  many  respects  it  is  otherwise.  With 
respect  to  the  positive  exercises  of  corruption,  they  may  appear  to 
themselves  freest  and  best  when  grace  is  most  in  exercise,  and 
worse  when  the  actings  of  grace  are  lowest.  And  when  they 
compare  themselves  with  themselves  at  different  times,  they  may 
know,  when  grace  is  in  lively  exercise,  that  it  is  better  with 
them  than  it  was  before  (though  before,  in  the  time  of  it,  they 
did  not  see  so  much  badness  as  they  see  now)  and  when  after- 
wards they  sink  agnin  in  the  frame  of  their  minds,  they  may  know 
that  they  sink,  and  have  a  new  argument  of  their  great  remaining 
corruption,  and  a  rational  conviction  of  a  greater  vileness  than 
they  saw  before;  and  many  have  more  of  a  sense  of  guilt,  and  a 
kind  of  legal  sense  of  their  sinfulness  by  far,  than  when  in  the 
lively  exercise  of  grace.  But  yet  it  is  true,  and  demonstrable 
from  the  forementioned  considerations,  that  the  children  of  God 
never  have  so  much  of  a  sensible  and  spiritual  conviction  of  their 
deformity,  and  so  great,  and  quick,  and  abasing  a  sense  of  their 
present  vileness  and  odiousness,  as  when  they  are  highest  in  the 
exercise  of  true  and  pure  grace;  and  never  are  they  so  much  dis- 
posed to  set  themselves  low  among  Christians  as  then.  And  thus 
he  that  is  greatest  in  the  kingdom,  or  most  eminent  in  the  church 
of  Christ,  is  the  same  that  humbles  himself,  as  the  least  infant  among 
them;  agreeable  to  the  great  saying  of  Christ,  Matt,  xviii.  4. 

A  true  saint  may  know  that  he  has  some  true  grace:  and  the 
more  grace  there  is,  the  more  easily  is  it  known;  as  was  ob- 
served and  proved  before.  But  yet  it  does  not  follow,  that  an 
eminent  saint  is  easily  sensible  that  he  is  an  eminent  saint,  when 
compared  with  others.  I  will  not  deny  that  it  is  possible,  that 
he  that  has  much  grace,  and  isi  au  eminent  saint,  may  know  it. 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS,  281 

But  he  will  not  be  apt  to  know  it;  it  will  not  be  a  thing  obvious 
to  him:  that  he  is  better  than  others,  and  has  higher  experiences 
and  attainments,  is  not  a  foremost  thought;  nor  is  it  that  wiiich 
from  time  to  time  readily  offers  itself;  it  is  a  thing  that  is  not  in 
his  way,  but  lies  far  out  of  sight;  he  must  take  pains  to  convince 
himself  of  it;  there  will  be  need  of  a  great  command  of  reason, 
and  a  high  degree  of  strictness  and  care  in  arguing,  to  convince 
himself.  And  if  he  be  rationally  convinced  by  a  very  strict  con- 
sideration of  his  own  experiences,  compared  with  the  great  ap- 
pearances of  low  degrees  of  grace  in  some  other  saints,  it  will 
hardly  seem  real  to  him,  that  he  has  more  grace  than  they;  and 
he  will  be  apt  to  lose  the  conviction  that  he  has  by  pains  ob- 
tained: nor  will  it  seem  at  all  natural  to  him  to  act  upon  that 
supposition.  And  this  may  be  laid  down  as  an  infallible  thing, 
"  That  the  person  who  is  apt  to  think  that  he,  as  compared  with 
others,  is  a  very  eminent  saint,  much  distinguished  in  christian 
experience,  in  whom  this  is  a  lirst  thought,  that  rises  of  itself,  and 
naturally  offers  itself;  he  is  certainly  mistaken;  he  is  no  eminent 
saint,  but  under  the  great  prevailings  of  a  proud  and  self-righ- 
teous spirit."  And  if  this  be  habitual  with  the  man,  and  is 
steadily  the  prevailing  temper  of  his  mind,  he  is  no  saint  at  all; 
he  has  not  the  least  degree  of  any  true  christian  experience;  so 
surely  as  the  word  of  God  is  true. 

And  that  sort  of  experiences  that  appears  to  be  of  that  tenden- 
cy, and  is  found  from  time  to  time  to  have  that  effect,  to  elevate 
the  subject  of  them  with  a  great  conceit  of  those  experiences,  is 
certainly  vain  and  delusive.  Those  supposed  discoveries  that 
naturally  blow  up  the  person  with  an  admiration  of  the  eminency 
of  his  discoveries,  and  till  him  with  conceit  that  now  he  has  seen 
and  knows  more  than  most  other  Christians,  have  nothing  of  the 
nature  of  true  spiritual  light  in  them.  All  true  spiritual  know- 
ledge is  of  that  nature,  that  the  more  a  person  has  of  it,  the  more 
is  he  sensible  of  his  own  ignorance;  as  is  evident  by  1  Cor.  viii. 
2,  "  He  that  thinketh  he  knoweth  any  thing,  he  knoweth  nothing 
yet  as  he  ought  to  know."  Augur,  when  he  had  a  great  disco- 
very of  God,  and  sense  of  the  wonderful  height  of  his  glory,  and 


282  SIXTH  SIGN  Of 

of  his  marvellous  works,  and  cries  out  of  his  greatness  and  in- 
comprehensibleness;  at  the  same  time,  had  the  deepest  sense  of 
his  brutish  ignorance,  and  looked  upon  himself  the  most  ignorant 
of  all  the  saints,  Prov.  xxx.  2,  3,  4,  "  Surely  I  am  more  brutish 
than  any  man,  and  have  not  the  understanding  of  a  man.  I  nei- 
ther learned  wisdom,  nor  have  the  knowledge  of  the  holy.  Wlio 
hath  ascended  up  into  heaven,  or  descended?  Who  hath  gathered 
the  wind  in  his  fists?  Who  hath  bound  the  waters  in  a  garment? 
Who  hath  established  all  the  ends  of  the  earth?  What  is  his 
name,  and  what  is  his  son's  name,  if  thou  canst  tell?" 

For  a  man  to  be  highly  conceited  of  his  spiritual  and  divine 
knowledge,  is  for  him  to  be  wise  in  his  own  eyes,  if  any  thing  is. 
And  therefore  it  comes  under  those  prohibitions;  Prov.  iii.  7.  "  Be 
not  wise  in  thine  own  eyes;"  Rom.  xii.  16,  "  Be  not  wise  in 
your  own  conceits;"  and  brings  men  under  that  wo;  Isa.  v.  21, 
"  Wo  unto  them  that  are  wise  in  their  own  eyes,  and  prudent  in 
their  own  sight."  Those  that  are  thus  wise  in  their  own  eyes, 
are  some  of  the  least  likely  to  get  good  of  any  in  the  world.  Ex- 
perience shows  the  truth  of  that;  Prov.  xxvi.  12,  "  Seest  thou  a 
man  wise  in  his  own  conceit?  There  is  more  hope  of  a  fool  than 
of  him." 

To  this  some  may  object,  that  the  psalmist,  when  we  must 
suppose  that  he  was  in  a  holy  frame,  speaks  of  his  knowledge  as 
eminently  great,  and  far  greater  than  that  of  other  saints;  Psal. 
cxix.  99,  100,  "  I  have  more  understanding  than  all  my  teachers: 
for  thy  testimonies  are  my  meditation:  I  understand  more  than  the 
ancients:  because  I  keep  thy  precepts." 

To  this  I  answer  two  things: 

( 1 .)  There  is  no  restraint  to  be  laid  upon  the  Spirit  of  God,  as  to 
what  he  shall  reveal  to  a  prophet  for  the  benefit  of  his  church,  who 
is  speaking  or  writing  under  immediate  inspiration.  The  Spirit  of 
God  may  reveal  to  such  a  one,  and  dictate  to  him  to  declare  to 
others  secret  things,  that  otherwise  would  be  hard,  yea  impossible 
for  him  to  find  out.  As  he  may  reveal  to  him  mysteries,  that 
otherwise  would  be  above  the  reach  of  his  reason;  or  things  in  a 
distant  place  that  he  can  not  see;  or  future  events  that  it  would 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS,  283 

be  impossible  for  him  to  know  and  declare,  if  they  were  not  ex- 
traordinarily revealed  to  him;  so  the  Spirit  of  God  might  reveal 
to  David  this  distinguishing  benefit  he  had  received,  by  conversing 
much  with  God's  testimonies;  and  use  him  as  his  instrument  to 
record  it  for  the  benefit  of  others,  to  excite  them  to  the  like  duty, 
and  to  use  the  same  means  to  gain  knowledge.  Nothing  can  be 
gathered  concerning  the  natural  tendency  of  the  ordinary  gra- 
cious influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  from  that  that  David  de- 
clares of  his  distinguishing  knowledge  under  the  extraordinary  in- 
fluences of  God's  Spirit,  immediately  dictating  to  him  the  divine 
mind,  by  inspiration,  and  using  David  as  his  instrument  to  write 
what  he  pleased  for  the  benefit  of  his  church,  any  more  than  we 
can  reasonably  argue  that  it  is  the  natural  tendency  of  grace  to 
incline  men  to  curse  others,  and  wish  the  most  dreadful  misery 
to  them  that  can  be  thought  of,  because  David,  under  inspiration, 
often  curses  others,  and  prays  that  such  misery  may  come  upon 
them. 

(2.)  It  is  not  certain  that  the  knowledge  David  here  speaks  of 
is  spiritual  knowledge,  wherein  holiness  does  fundamentally  con- 
sist. But  it  may  be  that  greater  revelation  which  God  made  to 
him  of  the  Messiah,  and  the  things  of  his  future  kingdom,  and 
the  far  more  clear  and  extensive  knowledge  that  he  had  of  the 
mysteries  and  doctrines  of  the  gospel  than  others,  as  a  reward  for 
his  keeping  God's  testimonies.  In  this  it  is  apparent,  by  the  book 
of  Psalms,  that  David  far  exceeded  all  that  had  gone  before  him. 

Secondly^  another  thing  that  is  an  infallible  sign  of  spiritual 
pride  is  persons  being  apt  to  think  highly  of  their  humility.  False 
experiences  are  commonly  attended  with  a  counterfeit  humility. 
And  it  is  the  very  nature  of  a  counterfeit  humility  to  be  highly 
conceited  of  itself.  False  religious  affections  have  generally 
that  tendency,  especially  when  raised  to  a  great  height,  to  make 
persons  think  that  their  humility  is  great,  and  accordingly  to  take 
much  notice  of  their  great  attainments  in  this  respect  and  admire 
them.  But  eminently  gracious  affections  (I  scruple  not  to  say  it) 
are  evermore  of  a  contrary  tendency,  and  have  universally  a  con- 
trary effect  in  those  that  have  them.     They,  indeed,  make  them 


284  SIXTH  SIGN  OF 

very  sensible  what  reason  there  is  that  they  should  be  deeply 
humbled,  and  cause  them  earnestly  to  thirst  and  long  after  it;  but 
they  make  their  present  humility,  or  that  which  they  have  alrea- 
dy attained  to,  to  appear  small;  and  their  remaining  pride  great, 
and  exceedingly  abominable. 

The  reason  why  a  proud  person  should  be  apt  to  think  his  hu- 
mility great,  and  why  a  very  humble  person  should  think  his  hu- 
mility small,  may  be  easily  seen,  if  it  be  considered  that  it  is  na- 
tural for  persons,  in  judging  of  the  degree  of  their  own  humilia- 
tion, to  take  their  measures  from  that  which  they  esteem  their 
proper  height,  or  the  dignity  wherein  they  properly  stand.  That 
may  be  great  humiliation  in  one,  that  is  no  humiliation  at  all  in 
another;  because  the  degree  of  honourableness  or  considerable- 
ness  wherein  each  does  properly  stand,  is  very  different.  For 
«ome  great  man  to  stoop  to  loose  the  latchet  of  the  shoes  of  ano- 
ther great  man,  his  equal,  or  to  wash  his  feet,  would  be  taken  no- 
tice of  as  an  act  of  abasement  in  him;  and  he,  being  sensible  of 
his  own  dignity,  would  look  upon  it  so  himself.  But  if  a  poor 
slave  is  seen  stooping  to  unloose  the  shoes  of  a  great  prince,  no- 
body will  take  any  notice  of  this  as  any  act  of  humiliation  in  him, 
or  token  of  any  great  degree  of  humility :  nor  would  the  slave 
himself,  unless  he  be  horribly  proud,  and  ridiculously  conceit- 
ed of  himself:  and  if,  after  he  had  done  it,  he  should,  in  his  talk 
and  behaviour,  show  that  he  thought  his  abasement  great  in  it, 
and  had  his  mind  much  upon  it,  as  an  evidence  of  his  being  very 
humble;  would  not  every  body  cry  out  upon  him,  "  Whom  do  you 
think  yourself  to  be,  that  you  should  think  this  that  you  have  done 
such  a  deep  humiliation?"  This  would  make  it  plain  to  a  demon- 
stration, that  this  slave  was  swollen  with  a  high  degree  of  pride 
and  vanity  of  mind,  as  much  as  if  he  declared  in  plain  terms,  "  I 
think  myself  to  be  some  great  one,"  And  the  matter  is  no 
less  plain  and  certain,  when  worthless,  vile  and  loathsome  worms 
of  the  dust  are  apt  to  put  such  a  construction  on  their  acts  of 
abasement  before  God;  and  to  think  it  a  token  of  great  humility 
in  them,  that  they,  under  their  affections,  can  find  themselves  so 
willing  to  acknowledge  themselves  to  be  so  mean  and  unworthy, 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  285 

and  to  behave  themselves  as  those  that  are  so  inferior.  The  very 
reason  why  such  outward  acts  and  such  inward  exercises  look 
like  great  abasement  in  such  a  one,  is  because  he  has  a  high  con- 
ceit of  himself.  Whereas  if  he  thought  of  himself  more  justly, 
these  things  would  appear  nothing  to  him,  and  his  humility  in 
them  worthy  of  no  regard;  but  would  rather  be  astonished  at  his 
pride,  that  one  so  infinitely  despicable  and  vile  is  brought  no  low- 
er before  God. — When  he  says  in  his  heart,  "  This  is  a  great  act 
of  humiliation;  it  is  certainly  a  sign  of  great  humility  in  me,  that 
I  should  feel  thus  and  do  so;"  his  meaning  is,  "  This  is  great  hu- 
mility for  me,  for  such  a  one  as  I,  that  am  so  considerable  and 
worthy."  He  considers  how  low  he  is  now  brought,  and  com- 
pares this  with  the  height  of  dignity  on  which  he  in  his  heart 
thinks  he  properly  stands,  and  the  distance  appears  very  great, 
and  he  calls  it  all  mere  humility,  and  as  such  admires  it.  Whereas 
in  him  that  is  truly  humble,  and  really  sees  his  own  vileness  and 
loathsomeness  before  God,  the  distance  appears  the  other  way. 
When  he  is  brought  lowest  of  all,  it  does  not  appear  to  him  that  he  is 
brought  below  his  proper  station,  but  that  he  is  not  come  to  it;  he  ap- 
pears to  himself  yet  vastly  above  it,  he  longs  to  get  lower  that  he  may 
come  to  it,  but  appears  at  a  great  distance  from  it.  And  this  dis- 
tance he  calls  pride;  and  therefore  his  pride  appears  great  to  him, 
and  not  his  humility.  For  although  he  is  brought  much  lower 
than  he  used  to  be,  yet  it  does  not  appear  to  him  worthy  of  the 
name  of  humiliation,  for  him  that  is  so  infinitely  mean  and  detest- 
able, to  come  down  to  a  place,  which,  though  it  be  lower  than 
what  he  used  to  assume,  is  yet  vastly  higher  than  what  is  proper 
for  him.  As  men  would  hardlv  count  it  worthy  of  the  name  of 
humility,  in  a  contemptible  slave,  that  formerly  affected  to  be  a 
prince,  to  have  his  spirit  so  far  brought  down,  as  to  take  the  place 
of  a  nobleman;  when  this  is  still  so  far  above  his  proper  station. 

All  men  in  the  world,  in  judging  of  the  degree  of  their  own  and 
others'  humility,  as  appearing  in  any  act  of  theirs,  consider  two 
things,  viz.  the  real  degree  of  dignity  they  stand  in,  and  the  degree 
of  abasement  and  the  relation  it  bears  to  that  real  dignity.  Thus 
the  complying  with  the  same  low  place,  or  low  act,  mav  be  an  evi- 
2ii 


286  '  SIXTH   SIGN  OF 

dence  of  great  humility  in  one,  that  evidences  little  or  no  humili- 
ty in  another.  But  truly  humble  Christians  have  so  mean  an 
opinion  of  their  own  real  dignity,  that  all  their  self-abasement, 
when  considered  with  relation  to  that,  and  compared  to  that,  ap- 
pears very  small  to  them.  It  does  not  seem  to  them  to  be  any  great 
humility,  or  any  abasement  to  be  made  much  of,  for  such  poor, 
vile,  abject  creatures  as  they  to  lie  at  the  foot  of  God. 

The  degree  of  humility  is  to  be  judged  of  by  the  degree  of  abase- 
ment, and  the  degree  of  the  cause  for  abasement:  but  he  that  is 
truly  and  eminently  humble,  never  thinks  his  humility  great,  con- 
sidering the  cause.  The  cause  why  he  should  be  abased  appears 
so  great,  and  the  abasement  of  the  frame  of  his  heart  so  greatly 
short  of  it,  that  he  takes  much  more  notice  of  his  pride  than  his 
humility. 

Every  one  that  has  been  conversant  with  souls  under  convic- 
tions of  sin,  knows  that  those  who  are  greatly  convinced  of  sin, 
are  not  apt  to  think  themselves  greatly  convinced.  And  the  rea- 
son is  this:  men  judge  of  the  degree  of  their  own  convictions  of 
sin  by  two  things  jointly  considered,  viz.  the  degree  of  sense 
which  they  have  of  guilt  and  pollution,  and  the  degree  of  cause 
they  have  for  such  a  sense,  in  the  degree  of  their  real  sinfulness. 
It  is  really  no  argument  of  any  great  conviction  of  sin,  for  some 
men  to  think  themselves  to  be  very  sinful,  beyond  most  others  in 
the  world;  because  they  are  so  indeed,  very  plainly  and  notorious- 
ly: and  therefore  a  far  less  conviction  of  sin  may  incline  such  a 
one  to  think  so  than  another;  he  must  be  very  blind  indeed  not  to 
be  sensible  of  it.  But  he  that  is  truly  under  great  convictions  of 
sin,  naturally  thinks  this  to  be  his  case.  It  appears  to  him  that 
the  cause  he  has  to  be  sensible  of  guilt  and  pollution  is  greater 
than  others  have;  and  therefore  he  ascribes  his  sensibleness  of 
this  to  the  greatness  of  his  sin,  and  not  to  the  greatness  of  his  sen- 
sibility. It  is  natural  for  one  under  great  convictions,  to  think 
himself  one  of  the  greatest  of  sinners  in  reality,  and  also  that  it  is  so 
very  plainly  and  evidently;  for  the  greater  his  convictions  are,  the 
ir>ore  plain  and  evident  it  seems  to  be  to  him.  And  therefore  it 
necessarily  seems  to  liim  so  plain  and  so  easy  to  him  to  see  it, 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  287 

that  it  may  be  seen  without  much  conviction.  That  man  is  un- 
der great  convictions,  whose  conviction  is  great  in  proportion  to 
his  sin.  But  no  man  that  is  truly  under  great  convictions,  thinks 
his  conviction  great  in  proportion  to  his  sin.  For  if  he  does,  it  is 
a  certain  sign  that  he  inwardly  thinks  his  sins  small.  And  if  that 
be  the  case,  that  is  a  certain  evidence  that  his  conviction  is  small. 
And  this,  by  the  way,  is  the  main  reason  that  persons,  when  un- 
der a  work  of  humiliation,  are  not  sensible  of  it  at  the  time  of  it. 

And  as  it  is  with  conviction  of  sin,  just  so  it  is,  by  parity  of 
reason,  with  respect  to  persons'  conviction  or  sensibleness  of  their 
own  meanness  and  vileness,  their  own  blindness,  their  own  im- 
potence, and  all  that  low  sense  that  a  Christian  has  of  himself,  ia 
the  exercise  of  evangelical  humiliation.  So  that  in  a  high  degree 
of  this,  the  saints  are  never  disposed  to  think  their  sensibleness  of 
their  own  meanness,  filthiness,  impotence,  &.c.  to  be  great;  be- 
cause it  never  appears  great  to  them,  considering  the  cause. 

An  eminent  saint  is  not  apt  to  think  himself  eminent  in  any 
thing;  all  his  graces  and  experiences  are  ready  to  appear  to  him 
to  be  comparatively  small;  but  especially  his  humility.  There  is 
nothing  that  appertains  to  christian  experience  and  true  piety  that 
is  so  much  out  of  his  sight  as  his  humility.  He  is  a  thousand  times 
more  quicksighted  to  discern  his  pride  than  .his  humility:  that  he 
easily  discerns,  and  is  apt  to  take  much  notice  of,  but  hardly  dis- 
cerns his  humility.  On  the  contrary,  the  deluded  hypocrite,  that 
is  under  the  power  of  spiritual  pride,  is  so  blind  to  nothing  as  his 
pride,  and  so  quicksighted  to  nothing  as  the  shows  of  humility  that 
are  in  him. 

The  humble  Christian  is  more  apt  to  find  fault  with  his  own 
pride  than  with  other  mens.  He  is  apt  to  put  the  best  construc- 
tion on  others'  words  and  behaviour,  and  to  think  that  none  are 
so  proud  as  himself.  But  the  proud  hypocrite  is  quick  to  discern 
the  mote  in  his  brother's  eye,  in  this  respect,  while  he  sees  no- 
thing of  the  beam  in  his  own.  He  is  very  often  much  in  cry- 
ing out  of  others'  pride,  finding  fault  with  others'  apparel,  and 
way  of  living;  and  is  affected  ten  times  as  much  with  his  neigh- 
bour's ring  or  ribband,  as  with  all  the  filthiness  of  his  own  heart. 


288  SIXTH  SIGN  OF 

From  the  disposition  there  is  in  hypocrites  to  tliink  highly  of 
their  humility,  it  comes  to  pass  that  counterfeit  humility  is  for- 
ward to  put  itself  forth  to  view.  Those  that  have  it,  are  apt  to 
be  much  in  speaking  of  their  humiliations,  and  to  set  them  forth 
in  high  terms,  and  to  make  a  great  outward  show  of  humility,  in 
affected  looks,  gestures  or  manner  of  speech,  or  meanness  of  ap- 
parel, or  some  affected  singularity.  So  it  was  of  old  with  the 
false  prophets,  Zech.  xiii,  4;  so  it  was  with  the  hypocritical  Jews, 
Isa.  Ivii.  5,  and  so  Christ  tells  us  it  was  with  the  pharisees,  Matt. 
vi.  16.  But  it  is  contrariwise  with  true  humility;  they  that  have 
it  are  not  apt  to  display  their  eloquence  in  setting  of  it  forth,  or 
to  speak  of  the  degree  of  their  abasement  in  strong  terms. f  It 
does  not  affect  to  show  itself  in  any  singular  outward  meanness  of 
apparel,  or  way  of  living;  agreeable  to  what  is  applied  in  Matt, 
vi.  17,  "  But  thou,  when  thou  fastest,  anoint  thine  head  and  wash 
thy  face;"  Col.  ii.  23,  "  Which  things  have  indeed  a  show  of 
wisdom  in  will  worship  and  humility,  and  neglecting  of  the  body." 
Nor  is  true  humility  a  noisy  thing;  it  is  not  loud  and  boisterous. 
The  scripture  represents  it  as  of  a  contrary  nature.  Ahab,  when 
he  had  a  visible  humility,  a  resemblance  of  true  humility,  went 
softly,  1  Kings  xxi.  37.  A  penitent,  in  the  exercise  of  true  hu- 
miliation, is  represented  as  still  and  silent.  Lam.  iii.  28,  "  He 
sitteth  alone  and  keepeth  silence,  because  he  hath  borne  it  upon 
him."  And  silence  is  mentioned  as  what  attends  humility;  Prov. 
XXX.  32,  "  If  thou  hast  done  foolishly  in  lifting  up  thyself,  or  if 
thou  hast  thought  evil,  lay  thine  hand  upon  thy  mouth." 

Thus  I  have  particularly  and  largely  shown  the  nature  of  that 
true  humility  that  attends  holy  affections,  as  it  appears  in  its  ten- 
dency to  cause  persons  to  think  meanly  of  ^.eir  attainments  in  re- 

I  It  is  an  observalion  of  Mr.  Jones,  in  his  excellent  treatise  of  the  canon 
of  the  New  Testament,  that  the  evangelist  Mark,  who  was  the  companion  of 
St.  Peter,  and  is  supposed  to  have  written  his  gospel  under  the  direction  of 
that  apostle,  when  he  mentions  Peter's  repentance  after  his  denying  his  Mas- 
ter,  does  not  use  such  strong  terms  to  set  it  forth  as  the  other  evangelists, 
he  only  uses  these  words,  "  When  he  thought  thereon,  he  wept,"  Mark  xiv. 
72;  whereas  the  other  evangelists  say  thus, "  he  went  out  and  wept  bitterly." 
Matt.  xxvi.  75,  Luke  xxii.  62. 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  289 

ligion,  as  compared  with  the  attainments  of  others,  and  particularly 
of  their  attainments  in  humility:  and  have  shown  the  contrary 
tendency  of  spiritual  pride,  to  dispose  persons  to  think  their  at- 
tainments in  these  respects  to  be  great.  I  have  insisted  the  longer 
on  this,  because  I  look  upon  it  as  a  matter  of  great  importance, 
as  it  affords  a  certain  distinction  between  true  and  counterfeit 
humility;  and  also  as  this  disposition  of  hypocrites  to  look  on 
themselves  better  than  others^  is  what  God  has  declared  to  be  very 
hateful  to  him,  "a  smoke  in  bis  nose,  and  a  tire  that  burneth  all 
the  day,"  Isa.  Ixv.  5.  It  is  mentioned  as  an  instance  of  the  pride 
of  the  inhabitants  of  that  holy  city  (as  it  was  called)  Jerusalem, 
thaf  they  esteemed  themselves  far  better  than  the  people  of  Sodom, 
and  so  looked  upon  them  worthy  to  be  overlooked  and  disregard- 
ed by  them,  Ezek.  xvi.  56,  "For  thy  sister  Sodom  was  not  men- 
tioned by  thy  mouth  in  the  day  of  thy  pride." 

Let  not  the  reader  lightly  pass  over  these  things  in  application 
to  himself.  If  you  have  once  taken  it  in,  that  it  is  a  bad  sign  for 
a  person  to  be  apt  to  think  himself  a  better  saint  than  others,  there 
will  arise  a  blinding  prejudice  in  your  own  favour;  and  there  will 
probably  be  need  of  a  great  strictness  of  self-examination,  in  order 
to  determine  whether  it  be  so  with  you.  If  on  the  proposal  of  the 
question,  you  answer,  "  No,  it  seems  to  me,  none  are  so  bad  as  I," 
do  not  let  the  matter  pass  off  so;  but  examine  again,  whether  or 
not  you  do  not  think  yourself  better  than  others  on  this  very  ac- 
count, because  you  imagine  you  think  so  meanly  of  yourself.  Have 
not  you  a  high  opinion  of  this  humility?  And  if  you  answer  again, 
"  No;  I  have  not  a  high  opinion  of  my  humility;  it  seems  to  me  I 
am  as  proud  as  the  devil;"  yet  examine  again,  whether  self-con- 
ceit do  not  rise  up  under  this  cover;  whether  on  this  very  account, 
that  you  think  yourself  as  proud  as  the  devil,  you  do  not  think 
yourself  to  be  very  humble. 

From  this  opposition  that  there  is  between  the  nature  of  a  true, 
and  of  a  counterfeit  humility,  as  to  the  esteem  that  the  subjects  of 
them  have  of  themselves,  arises  a  manifold  contrariety  of  temper 
and  behaviour. 

A  truly  humble  person,  having  such  a  mean  opinion  of  his 


290  SIXTH  SIGN  OF 

righteousness  and  holiness,  is  poor  in  spirit.  For  a  person  to  be 
poor  in  spirit,  is  to  be  in  his  own  sense  and  apprehension  poor, 
as  to  what  is  in  him,  and  to  be  of  an  answerable  disposition. 
Therefore  a  truly  humble  person,  especially  one  eminently  hum- 
ble, naturally  behaves  himself  in  many  respects  as  a  poor  man. 
"The  poor  useth  intreaties,  but  the  rich  answereth  roughly."  A 
poor  man  is  not  disposed  to  quick  and  high  resentment  when  he 
is  among  the  rich:  he  is  apt  to  yield  to  others,  for  he  knows  others 
are  above  him;  he  is  not  stiff  and  self-willed;  he  is  patient  with 
hard  fare;  he  expects  no  other  than  to  be  despised,  and  takes  it 
patiently;  he  does  not  take  it  heinously  that  he  is  overlooked  and 
but  little  regarded;  he  is  prepared  to  be  in  a  low  place;  he  rea- 
dily honours  his  superiors;  he  takes  reproof  quietly;  he  readily 
honours  others  as  above  him;  he  easily  yields  to  be  taught,  and 
does  not  claim  much  to  his  understanding  and  judgment;  he  is  not 
over  nice  or  humoursome,  and  has  his  spirit  subdued  to  hard  things; 
he  is  not  assuming,  nor  apt  to  take  much  upon  him,  but  it  is  natural 
for  him  to  be  subject  to  others.  Thus  it  is  with  the  humble  Chris- 
tian. Humility  is  (as  the  great  Mastricht  expresses  it)  a  kind  of 
holy  pusillanimity. 

A  man  that  is  very  poor  is  a  beggar;  so  is  he  that  is  poor  in 
spirit.  There  is  a  great  difference  between  those  affections  that 
are  gracious,  and  those  that  are  false:  under  the  former,  the  per- 
son continues  still  a  poor  beggar  at  God's  gates,  exceeding  empty 
and  needy;  but  the  latter  makes  men  appear  to  themselves  rich, 
and  increased  with  goods,  and  not  very  necessitous;  they  have  a 
great  stock  in  their  own  imagination  for  their  subsistence.! 

•j- "  This  spirit  ever  keeps  a  man  poor  and  vile  in  his  own  eyes,  and  empty. 
When  the  man  hath  got  some  knowledge,  and  can  discourse  pretty  well, 
and  hath  some  taste  of  the  heavenly  gift,  some  sweet  illapses  of  grace,  and 
so  his  conscience  is  pretty  well  quieted:  and  if  he  hath  got  some  answer  to 
his  prayers,  and  hath  sweet  afFections,  he  grows  full:  and  having  ease  to  his 
conscience,  casts  off  sense,  and  daily  groaning  under  sin.  And  hence  the 
spirit  of  prayer  dies:  he  loses  his  esteem  of  God's  ordinances,  feels  not  such 
need  of  them;  or  gets  no  good,  feels  no  life  or  power  by  them: — This  is  the 
woful  condition  of  some;  but  yet  they  know  it  not.  But  now  he  that  is 
filled  with  the  Spirit,  the  Lord  empties  him;  and  the  more,  the  longer  be 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  2dl 

A  poor  man  is  modest  in  his  speech  and  behaviour;  so  and 
much  more,  and  more  certainly  and  universally,  is  one  that  is  poor 
in  spirit;  he  is  humble  and  modest  in  his  behaviour  amongst  men. 
It  is  in  vain  for  any  to  pretend  that  they  are  humble,  and  as  little 
children  before  God,  when  they  are  haughty,  assuming,  and  im- 
pudent in  their  behaviour  amongst  men.  The  apostle  informs  us, 
that  the  design  of  the  gospel  is  to  cut  off  all  glorying,  not  only  be- 
fore God,  but  also  before  men,  Rom.  iv.  1,  2.  Some  pretend  to 
great  humiliation,  that  are  very  haughty,  audacious,  and  assuming 
in  their  external  appearance  and  behaviour:  but  they  ought  to 
consider  those  scriptures,  Psal.  cxxxi.  1 ,  "  Lord,  my  heart  is  not 
haughty,  nor  mine  eyes  lofty;  neither  do  I  exercise  myself  in  great 
matters,  or  in  things  too  high  for  me."  Prov.  vi.  16, 17,  "  These 
six  things  doth  the  Lord  hate;  yea  seven  are  an  abomination  unto 
him:  a  proud  look,"  kc.  Chap.  xxi.  4,  "An  high  look,  and  a 
proud  heart  are  sin."  Psal.  xviii.  27,  "  Thou  wilt  bring  down 
high  looks."  And  Psal.  ci.  5,  "  Him  that  hath  an  high  look,  and 
a  proud  heart,  I  will  not  suffer."  1  Cor.  xiii.  4,  "  Charity  vaunteth 
not  itself,  doth  not  behave  itself  unseemly."  There  is  a  certain 
amiable  modesty  and  fear  that  belongs  to  a  christian  behaviour 
among  men,  arising  from  humility,  that  the  scripture  often  speaks 
of,  1  Pet.  iii.  15,  "Be  ready  to  give  an  answer  to  every  man 
that  asketh  you — with  meekness  and  fear."  Romans  xiii.  7, 
"Fear  to  whom  fear."  2  Cor.  vii.  15,  "  Whilst  he  remembereth 
the  obedience  of  you  all,  how  with  fear  and  trembling  you  received 
him."  Eph.  vi.  5,  "  Servants,  be  obedient  to  them  that  are  your 
masters  according  to  the  flesh,  with  fear  and  trembling."     1  Pet. 

lives.  So  that  though  others  think  lie  needs  not  much  g^race,  yet  he  ac- 
counts himself  the  poorest."  Shepurd's  Parable  of  the  Ten  Virgins,  Part  II. 
p.  132. 

"  After  all  fillings,  be  ever  empty,  hungry,  and  feeling  need,  and  praying 
for  more."     Ibid,  p.  151. 

" 'I'ruly,  brethren,  when  I  see  the  curse  of  God  upon  many  Christians, 
that  are  now  grown  full  of  their  pirts,  gifts,  peace,  comforts,  abilities,  duties, 
I  stand  adoring  the  riches  of  the  Lord's  mercy,  to  a  little  handful  of  poor 
believers,  not  only  in  making  tliem  empty,  but  in  keeping  tliem  so  a^l  their 
days."     Shepard's  Sormd  Believer,  the  late  edition  in  Boston,  p.  158,  159 


2^2      '  SIXTH  SIGN  OP 

ii.  18,  "  Servants  be  subject  to  jour  masters  with  all  fear."  1 
Pet.  iii.  3,  "•While  they  behold  your  chaste  conversation  coupled, 
with  fear."  1  Tim.  ii.  9,  "That  women  adorn  themselves  in 
modest  apparel,  with  shamefacedness  and  sobriety."  In  this  re- 
spect a  Christian  is  like  a  little  child;  a  little  child  is  modest  be- 
fore men,  and  his  heart  is  apt  to  be  possessed  with  fear  and  awe 
amongst  them. 

The  same  spirit  will  dispose  a  Christian  to  honour  all  men; 
1  Pet.  ii.  17,  "  Honour  all  men."  A  humble  Christian  is  not 
only  disposed  to  honour  the  saints  in  his  behaviour;  but  others 
also,  in  all  those  ways  that  do  not  imply  a  visible  approbation  of 
their  sins.  Thus  Abraham,  the  great  pattern  of  believers,  ho- 
noured the  children  of  Heth;  Gen.  xxiii.  7,  "  Abraham  stood  up, 
and  bowed  himself  to  the  people  of  the  land."  This  was  a  re- 
markable instance  of  a  humble  behaviour  towards  them  that  are 
out  of  Christ,  and  that  Abraham  knew  to  be  accursed:  and 
therefore  ^vould  by  no  means  suffer  his  servant  to  take  a  wife  to 
his  son  from  among  them;  and  Esau's  wives  being  of  these  chil- 
dren of  Heth,  were  a  grief  of  mind  to  Isaac  and  Rebekah.  So 
Paul  honoured  Festus;  Acts  xxvi.  25,  "  I  am  not  mad,  most  no- 
ble Festus."  Not  only  will  christian  humility  dispose  persons  to 
honour  those  wicked  men  that  are  out  of  the  visible  church,  but 
also  false  brethren  and  persecutors.  As  Jacob,  when  he  was  in  an 
excellent  frame,  having  just  been  wrestling  all  night  with  God, 
and  received  the  blessing,  honoured  Esau,  his  false  and  perse- 
cuting brother;  Gen.  xxxiii.  3,  "  Jacob  bowed  himself  to  the 
ground  seven  times,  until  he  came  near  to  his  brother  Esau."  So 
he  called  him  lord;  and  commanded  all"  his  family  to  honour  him 
in  like  manner. 

Thus  I  have  endeavoured  to  describe  the  heart  and  behaviour 
of  one  that  is  governed  by  a  truly  gracious  humility,  as  exactly 
agreeable  to  the  scriptures  as  I  am  able. 

Now,  it  is  out  of  such  a  heart  as  this,  that  all  truly  holy  affec- 
tions do  flow.  Christian  affections  rfl-e  like  Mary's  precious  oint- 
ment that  she  poured  on  Christ's  head,  that  filled  the  whole  house 
with  a  sweet  odour.     That  was  poured  out  of  an  alabaster  box; 


CtRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  293 

SO  gracious  affections  How  out  to  Christ  out  of  a  pure  heart.  That 
was  poured  out  of  a  broken  box;  until  the  box  was  broken,  the 
ointment  could  not  flow,  nor  diffuse  its  odour;  so  gracious  affec- 
tions flow  out  of  a  broken  heart.  Gracious  affections  are  also  like 
those  of  Mary  Magdalene  (Luke  vii.  at  the  latter  end)  who  also 
pours  precious  ointment  on  Christ,  out  of  an  alabaster  broken 
box,  anointing  therewith  the  feet  of  Jesus,  when  she  had  washed 
them  with  her  tears,  and  wiped  them  with  the  hair  of  her  head. 
All  gracious  affections  that  are  a  sweet  odour  to  Christ,  and  that 
fill  the  soul  of  a  Christian  with  an  heavenly  sweetness  and  fra- 
grancy,  are  broken-hearted  affections.  A  truly  christian  love, 
either  to  God  or  men,  is  a  humble  broken-hearted  love.  The  de- 
sires of  the  saints,  however  earnest,  are  humble  desires:  their 
hope  is  an  humble  hope;  and  their  joy,  even  when  it  is  unspeaka- 
ble and  full  of  glory,  is  an  humble  broken-hearted  joy,  and  leaves 
the  Christian  more  poor  in  spirit,  and  more  like  a  little  child,  and 
more  disposed  to  an  universal  lowliness  of  behaviour. 

VII.  Another  thing,  wherein  gracious  affections  are  distinguish- 
.  ed  from  others,  is,  that  they  are  attended  with  a  change  of  na- 
ture. 

All  gracious  affections  do  arise  from  a  spiritual  understanding, 
in  which  the  soui  has  the  excellency  and  glory  of  divine  thin«-s 
discovered  to  it,  as  was  shown  before.  But  all  spiritual  disco- 
veries are  transforming;  and  not  only  make  an  alteration  of  the 
present  exercise,  sensation,  and  frame  of  the  soul;  but  such  power 
and  efficacy  have  they,  that  they  make  an  alteration  in  the  very 
nature  of  the  soul;  2_Cor.  iii.  ,18,  "  But  we  all  with  open  face, 
beholding  as  in  a  glass  the  glory  of  the  Lord,  are  changed  into 
the  same  image,  from  glory  to  glory,  even  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the 
Lord."  Such  power  as  this  is  properly  divine  power,  and  is  pe- 
culiar to  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord:  other  power  may  make  a  great 
alteration  in  mens  present  frames  and  feelings:  but  it  is  the 
power  of  a  Creator  only  that  can  change  the  nature,  or  give  a  new 
nature.  And  no  discoveries  or  illuminations,  but  those  that  are 
divine  and  supernatural,  will  have  this  supernatural  effect.  But 
this  effect  all  those  discoveries  have,  that  are  trulv  divine.  The 
2  .0 


^ 


■594  SEVENTH  SIGN  OF 

soul  is  deeply  aflected  by  these  discoveries,  and  so  affected  as 
to  be  transformed. 

Thus  it  is  with  those  affections  that  the  soul  is  the  subject  of 
in  its  conversion.  The  scripture  representations  of  conversion 
do  strongly  imply  and  signify  a  change  of  nature:  such  as  "  be- 
ing born  again;  becoming  new  creatures;  rising  from  the  dead; 
being  renewed  in  the  spirit  of  the  mind;  dying  to  sin,  and  living 
to  righteousness;  putting  off  the  old  man,  and  putting  on  the  new 
man;  a  being  ingrafted  into  a  new  stock;  a  having  a  divine  seed 
implanted  in  the  heart;  a  being  made  partakers  of  the  divine  na- 
ture, &c. 

Therefore  if  there  be  no  great  and  remarkable  abiding  change 
in  persons,  that  think  they  have  experienced  a  work  of  conver- 
sion, vain  are  all  their  imaginations  and  pretences,  however  they 
have  been  affected.f  Conversion  is  a  great  and  universal  change 
of  the  man,  turning  him  from  sin  to  God,  A  man  may  be  re- 
strained from  sin  before  he  is  converted;  but  when  he  is  convert- 
ed, he  is  not  only  restrained  from  sin,  his  very  heart  and  nature 
is  turned  from  it  unto  holiness:  so  that  thenceforward  he  be- 
comes a  holy  person,  and  an  enemy  to  sin.  If  therefore,  after  a 
person's  high  affections,  at  his  supposed  first  conversion,  it  comes 
to  that  in  a  little  time,  that  there  is  no  very  sensible,  or  remarka- 
ble alteration  in  him,  as  to  those  bad  qualities  and  evil  habits 
which  before  were  visible  in  him,  and  he  is  ordinarily  under  the 
prevalence  of  the  same  kind  of  dispositions  that  he  used  to  be, 
and  the  same  things  seem  to  belong  to  his  character;  he  appears 
as  selfish,  carnal,  as  stupid  and  perverse,  as  unchristian  and  un- 
savoury as  ever;  it  is  greater  evidence  against  him,  that  the 
brightest  story  of  experiences  that  ever  was  told,  is  for  him.  For 
in  Christ  Jesus  neither  circumcision,  nor  uncircumcision,  neither 

•}■ "  1  would  not  judge  of  the  whole  soul's  coming  to  Christ,  so  much  by 
sudden  pangs  as  by  Luyvard  bent.  For  the  whole  soul,  in  affectionate  ex- 
pressions and  actions,  ipay  be  carried  to  Clirist;  but  being  without  this 
bent,  and  cliange  of  affections,  is  unsound."  ShcpanVs  Parable,  Parti,  p. 
203. 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTfONS.  295 

high  profession,  nor  low  profession,  neither  a  fair  story,  nor  a 
broicen  one,  avails  any  thing;  but  a  new  creature. 

If  there  be  a  very  great  alteration  visible  in  a  person  for  a 
while;  [fit  be  not  abiding,  but  he  afterwards  returns,  in  a  stated 
manner,  to  be  much  as  he  used  to  be;  it  appears  to  be  no  change 
of  nature;  for  nature  is  an  abiding  thing.  A  swine  that  Is  of  a 
filthy  nature  may  be  washed,  but  the  swinish  nature  remains; 
and  a  dove  that  is  of  a  cleanly  nature  may  be  defiled,  but  its 
cleanly  nature  remains.! 

Indeed  allowances  must  be  made  for  the  natural  temper;  con- 
version does  not  entirely  root  out  the  natural  temper;  those  sins 
which  a  man  by  his  natural  constitution  was  most  Inclined  to  be- 
fore his  conversion,  he i may  be  most  apt  to  fall  into  still.  But  /^ 
yet  conversion  will  make  a  great  alteration  even  with  respect  to 
these  sins.  Though  grace,  while  imperfect,  does  not  root  out  an  evil 
natural  temper,  yet  it  Is  of  great  pow^r  and  efficacy  with  respect 
to  it,  to  correct  it.  The  change  that  is  wrought  in  conversion,  is 
an  universal  change;  grace  changes  a  man  with  respect  to  what- 
ever is  sinful  in  him;  the  old  man  is  put  off,  and  the  new  man 
put  on;  he  is  sanctified  throughout;  and  the  man  becomes  a  new 
creature,  old  things  are  passed  away,,  and  all  things  are  become 
new;  all  sin  is  mortified,  constitution"^ sins,  as  well  as  others.  If  a 
man,  before  his  conversion,  was  by  his  natural  constitution  espe- 
cially inclined  to  lascivlousness,  or  drunkenness,  or  malicious- 
ness; converting  grace  will  make  a  great  alteration  in  him,  with 
respect  to  these  evil  dispositions;  sothat  however  he  maybe  still 
most  in  danger  of  these  sins,  yet  they  shall  no  longer  have  domi- 
nion over  him;  nor  will  they  any  more  be  properly  his  character. 
Yea,  true  repentance  does  In  some  respects,  especially  turn  a  man 

I  It  is  with  the  soul  as  with  water;  all  the  cold  may  be  gone,  but  the  na- 
tive principle  of  cold  remains  still.  You  may  remove  the  burning  of  lusts, 
not  the  blackness  of  nature.  Where  the  power  of  sin  lies,  change  of  con- 
science from  security  to  terror,  change  of  life  from  profaneness  to  civility, 
and  fashions  of  t!ie  world,  to  escape  the  pollutions  thereof,  cliange  of  lusts, 
may  quench  tliem  for  a  time:  but  tlie  nature  is  never  changed  in  the  best 
hypocrite  that  ever  was.     Shcpard's  Paraile,  Part  1.  p.  194. 


•296  SEVEXtH  SIGN  OF 

against  his  own  iniquity,  that  wherein  he  has  been  most  guilty, 
and  has  chiefly  dishonoured  God.  He  that  forsakes  other  sins, 
but  saves  his  leading  sin,  the  iniquity  he  is  chiefly  inclined  to,  is 
like  Saul,  when  sent  against  God's  enemies,  the  Amalekites,  with 
a  strict  charge  to  save  none  of  them  alive,  but  utterly  to  destroy 
them,  small  and  great;  who  utterly  destroyed  inferior  people,  but 
saved  the  king,  the  chief  of  them  all,  alive. 

Some  foolishly  make  it  an  argument  in  favour  of  their  discoveries 
and  affections,  that  when  they  are  gone,  they  are  left  wholly  with- 
out any  life  or  sense,  or  any  thing  beyond  what  they  had  before. 
They  think  it  an  evidence  that  what  they  experienced  was  wholly 
of  God,  and  not  of  themselves,  because  (say  they)  when  God  is 
departed,  all  is  gone;  they  can  see  and- feel  nothing,  and  are  no 
better  than  they  used  to  be. 

It  is  very  true,  that  all  grace  and  goodness  in  the  hearts  of  the 
-saints  is  entirely  from  God;  and  they  are  universally  and  imme- 
diately dependent  on  him  for  it.  But  yet  these  persons  are  mis- 
taken, as  to  the  manner  of  God's  communicating  himself  and  his 
holy  Spirit,  in  imparting  saving  grace  to  the  soul.  He  gives  his 
Spirit  to  be  united  to  the  faculties  of  the  soul,  and  to  dwell  there 
after  the  manner  of  a  principle  of  nature;  so  that  the  soul,  in  be- 
ing endued  with  grace,  is  endued  with  a  new  nature:  but  nature 
is  an  abiding  thing.  All  the  exercises  of  grace  are  entirely  from 
Christ:  but  those  exercises  are  not  from  Christ,  as  something  that 
is  alive,  moves  and  stirs,  something  that  is  without  life,  and  re- 
mains without  life;  but  as  having  life  communicated  to  it;  so  as 
through  Christ's  power,  to  have  inherent  in  itself  a  vital  nature. 
In  the  soul  where  Christ  savingly  is,  there  he  lives.  He  does  not 
only  live  without  it,  so  as  violently  to  actuate  it,  but  he  lives  in 
it,  so  that  that  also  is  alive.  Grace  in  the  soul  is  as  much  from 
Christy  as  the  light  in  a  glass,  held  out  in  the  sunbeams,  is  from 
the  sun.  But  this  represents  the  manner  of  the  communication 
of  grace  to  the  soul,  but  in  part;  because  the  glass  remains  as  it 
was,  the  nature  of  it  not  being  at  all  changed,  it  is  as  much  with- 
!  out  any  lightsomeness  in  its  nature  as  ever.  But  the  soul  of  a 
^saint  receives  light  from  the  Sun  of  righteousness,  in  such  a  man- 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  '  297 

ner,  that  its  nature  is  changed,  and  it  becomes  properly  a  lumin- 
ous thing;  not  only  does  the  sun  shine  in  the  saints,  but  they  also 
become  little  suns,  partaking  of  the  nature  of  the  fountain  of  their 
light.  In  this  respect,  the  manner  of  their  derivation  of  light,  is 
like  that  of  the  lamps  in  the  tabernacle,  rather  than  that  of  a  re- 
flecting glass;  which,  though  they  were  lit  up  by  fire  from 
heaven,  yet  thereby  became  themselves  burning  shining  things. 
The  saints  do  not  only  drink  of  the  water  of  life,  that  flows  from 
the  original  fountain;  but  this  water  becomes  a  fountain  of  water  y 
in  them,  springing  up  there,  and  flowing  out  of  them,  John  iv.  14,  ^ 
and  chap,  vii,  38,  39.  Grace  is  compared  to  a  seed  implanted, 
that  not  only  is  in  the  ground,  but  has  hold  of  it,  has  root  there, 
and  grows  there,  and  is  an  abiding  principle  of  life  and  nature 
there. 

As  it  is  with  spiritual  discoveries  and  affections  given  at  first 
conversion,  so  it  is  in  all  illuminations  and  afi'ections  of  that  kind, 
that  persons  are  the  subjects  of  afterwards;  they  are  all  transfj^jriJOz  ® 
ing.  There  is  a  like  divine  power  and  energy  in  them,  as  in  the 
first  discoveries;  and  they  will  reach  the  bottom  of  tlie  heart,  and 
affect  and  alter  the  very  nature  of  the  soul,  in  proportion  to  the 
degree  in  which  they  are  given.  And  a  transformation  of  nature 
is  continued  and  carried  on  by  them,  to  the  end  of  life,  until  it  is 
brought  to  perfection  in  glory.  Hence  the  progress  of  the  work 
of  grace  in  the  hearts  of  the  saints,  is  represented  in  scripture,  as 
a  continued  conversion  and  renovation  of  nature.  So  the  apostle 
exhorts  those  that  were  at  Rome,  "beloved  of  God,  called  to  be 
saints,"  and  that  were  subjects  of  God's  redeeming  mercies,  "  to 
be  transformed  by  the  renewing  of  their  mind,"  Rom.  xii.  1,"I  be- 
seech you  therefore,  by  the  mercies  of  God,  that  ye  present  your 
bodies  a  living  sacrifice;  and  be  not  conformed  to  this  world;  but 
be  }'e  transformed  by  the  renewing  of  your  mind."  Compared 
with  chap.  i.  7.  So  the  apostle,  writing  to  the  "  saints  and  faith- 
ful in  Christ  Jesus,  that  were  at  Ephesus  (Eph.  i.  1.)  and  those 
who  were  once  dead  in  trespasses  and  sins,  but  were  now  quick- 
ened and  raised  up,  and  made  to  sit  together  in  heavenly  places 
in  Christ,  apd  created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works,  that  were 


298  SEVENTH  SIGN  OP 

once  far  off,  but  were  now  made  nigh  by  the  blood  of  Christ,  and 
that  were  no  more  strangers  and  foreigners,  but  fellow  citizens 
with  the  saints,  and  of  the  household  of  God,  and  that  were  built 
together  for  an  habitation  of  God  through  the  Spirit;  I  say,  the 
apostle  writing  to  these,  tells  them,  "that  he  ceased  not  to  pray 
for  them,  that  God  would  give  them  the  Spirit  of  wisdom  and  re- 
velation, in  the  knowledge  of  Christ;  the  eyes  of  their  understand- 
/  ing  being  enlightened,  that  they  might  know,  or  experience,  what 

>  was  the  exceeding  greatness  of  God's  power  towards  them  that 
I  believe,  according  to  the  working  of  his  mighty  power,  which  he 
[  wrought  in  Christ,  when  he  raised  him  from  the  dead,  and  set  him 
■  at  his  own  right  hand  in  the  heavenly  places,"  Eph,  i.  16,  to  the 
'^^  end.     In  this  the  apostle  has  respect  to  the  glorious  power  and 

>  work  of  God  in  converting  and  renewing  the  soul;  as  is  most  plain 
by  the  sequel.  So  the  apostle  exhorts  the  same  persons  "  to  put 
off  the  old  man,  which  is  corrupt  according  to  the  deceitful  lusts; 
and  be  renewed  in  the  spirit  of  their  minds;  and  to  put  on  the  new 
man,  which  after  God  is  created  in  righteousness  and  true  holi- 
ness," Eph.  iv.  22,  23,  24. 

There  is  a  sort  of  high  affections  that  some  have  from  time  to 
time,  that  leave  them  without  any  manner  of  appearance  of  an 
abiding  effect.  They  go  off  suddenly ;  so  that  from  the  very  height 
of  their  emotion,  and  seeming  rapture,  they  pass  at  once  to  be 
quite  dead,  and  void  of  all  sense  and  activity.  It  surely  is  not 
wont  to  be  thus  with  high  gracious  affections;!  they  leave  a  sweet 
savour  and  relish  of  divine  things  on  the  heart,  and  a  stronger 
bent  of  soul  towards  God  and  holiness.  As  Moses's  face  not  only 
shone  while  he  was  in  the  mount,  extraordinarily  conversing  with 
God,  but  it  continued  to  shine  after  he  came  down  from  the  mount. 
When  men  have  been  conversing  with  Christ  in  an  extraordinary 
manner,  there  is  a  sensible  effect  of  it  remaining  upon  them;  there 
is  something  remarkable  in  their  disposition  and  frame,  which  if 

-j-  "  Do  you  think  the  Holy  Ghost  comes  on  a  man  as  on  Balaam,  by  im- 
meihate  acting,  and  then  leaves  him,  and  then  he  has  nothing?"  Shepard'e 
Parable,  Part  1.  p.  126. 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  299 

we  take  knowledge  of,  and  trace  to  its  cause,  we  shall  find  it  is 
because  they  have  been  with  Jesus;  Acts  iv.  13. 

VIII.  Truly  gracious  afTections  differ  from  those  affections  that 
arc  false  and  delusive  in  that  they  tend  to,  and  are  attended  with 
the  lamb  like,  dove  like  spirit  and  temper  of  Jesus  Christ;  or  in 
other  words,  they  naturally  beget  and  promote  such  a  spirit  of  love, 
meekness,  quietness,  forgiveness  and  mercy,  as  appeared  in  Christ, 

The  evidence  of  this  in  the  scripture  is  very  abundant.  If  we 
judge  of  the  nature  of  Christianity,  and  the  proper  spirit  of  the 
gospel,  by  the  word  of  God,  this  spirit  is  what  may,  by  way  of 
emiaency,  be  called  the  christian  spirit;  and  may  be  looked  upon 
as  the  true,  and  distinguishing  disposition  of  the  hearts  of  Chris- 
tians, as  Christians.  When  some  of  the  disciples  of  Christ  said 
something,  through  inconsideration  and  infirmity,  that  was  not 
agreeable  to  such  a  spirit,  Christ  told  them,  that  they  knew  not 
what  manner  of  spirit  they  were  of,  Luke  ix.  55,  implying  that 
this  spirit  that  I  am  speaking  of,  is  the  proper  spirit  of  his  religion 
and  kingdom.  AH  that  are  truly  godly,  and  real  disciples  of  Christ 
have  this  spirit  in  them;  and  not  only  so,  but  they  are  of  this  spirit; 
it  is  the  spirit  by  which  they  are  so  possessed  and  governed,  that 
it  is  their  true  and  proper  character.  This  is  evident  by  ^vliat 
the  wise  man  says,  Prov.  xvii.  27,  (having  respect  plainly  to  such 
a  spirit  as  this)  "A  man  of  understanding  is  of  an  excellent 
spirit:"  and  by  the  particular  description  Christ  gives  of  the  qua- 
lities and  temper  of  such  as  are  truly  blessed,  that  shall  obtain 
mercy,  and  are  God's  children  and  heirs,  Matt,  v,  "  Blesed  are 
the  meek:  for  they  shall  inherit  the  earth.  Blessed  are  the  mer- 
ciful: for  they  shall  obtain  mercy.  Blessed  are  the  peacemakers: 
for  they  shall  be  called  the  children  of  God."  And  that  this  spirit 
is  the  special  character  of  the  elect  of  God,  is  manifested  by  Col, 
iii.  12,  13,  "Put  on  therefore  as  the  elect  olGod,  holy  and  be- 
loved, bowels  of  mercies,  kindness,  humbleness  of  mind,  meek- 
ness, long  suffering;  forbearing  one  another,  and  forgiving  one 
another."  And  the  apostle,  speaking  of  that  temper  and  disposi- 
tion, which  he  speaks  of  as  the  most  excellent  and  essential  thing 
in  Christianity,  and  that  without  which  none  are  true  Christians, 


SOO  EIGHTH  SIGN  OF 

and  the  most  glorious  profession  and  gifts  are  nothing  (calling  this 
spirit  by  the  name  of  charity,  he  describes  it  thus)  1  Cor.  xiii. 
4,  5,  "Charity  suffereth  long,  and  is  kind;  charity  envieth  not; 
charity  vaunteth  not  itself,  is  not  puffed  up,  doth  not  behave  itself 
unseemly,  seeketh  not  her  own,  is  not  easily  provoked,  thinketh 
no  evil."  And  the  same  apostle.  Gal.  v.  designedly  declaring 
the  distinguishing  marks  and  fruits  of  true  christian  grace,  chiefly 
insists  on  the  things  that  appertain  to  such  a  temper  and  spirit  as 
I  am  speaking  of,  ver.  22,  23,  "The  fruit  of  the  Spirit  is  love, 
joy,  peace,  long  suffering,  gentleness,  goodness,  faith,  meekness, 
temperance."  And  so  does  the  apostle  James,  in  describing  true 
grace,  or  that  wisdom  that  is  from  above,  with  that  declared  de- 
sign, that  others  who  are  of  a  contrary  spirit  may  not  deceive 
themselves,  and  lie  againstthe  truth,  in  professing  to  be  Christians, 
when  they  are  not;  James  iii.  14 — 17,  "  If  ye  have  bitter  envying 
and  strife  in  your  hearts,  glory  not;  and  lie  not  against  the  truth. 
This  wisdom  descendeth  not  from  above,  but  is  earthly,  sensual, 
devilish.  For  where  envying  and  strife  is,  there  is  confusion,  and 
every  evil  work.  But  the  wisdom  that  is  from  above,  is  first  pure, 
then  peaceable,  gentle  and  easy  to  be  entreated,  full  of  mercy  and 
good  fruits." 

,t  Every  thing  that  appertains  to  holiness  of  heart,  does  indeed 
belong  to  the  nature  of  true  Christianity,  and  the  character  of 
Christians;  but  a  spirit  of  holiness,  as  appearing  in  some  parlicu- 

Llar  graces,  may  more  especially  be  called  the  christian  spirit  or 
temper.  There  are  some  amiable  qualities  and  virtues,  that  do 
more  especially  agree  with  the  nature  of  the  gospel  constitution 
and  christian  profession;  because  there  is  a  special  agreeableness 
in  them  with  those  divine  attributes  which  God  has  more  remark- 
ably manifested  and  glorified  in  the  work  of  redemption  by  Jesus 
Christ,  that  is  the  grand  subject  of  the  christian  revelation;  and 
also  a  special  agreeableness  with  those  virtues  that  were  so  won- 
derfully exercised  by  Jesus  Christ  towards  us  in  that  affair,  and 
the  blessed  example  he  hath  therein  set  us;  and  likewise  because 
they  are  peculiarly  agreeable  to  the  special  drift  and  design  of  the 
work  of  redemption,  and  the  benefits  we  thereby  receive,  and  the 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  301 

relation  that  it  brings  us  into  to  God  and  one  another.  And  these 
virtues  are  such  as  humility,  meekness,  love,  forgiveness  and 
mercy.  These  things  therefore  especially  belong  to  the  character 
of  Christians,  as  such. 

These  things  are  spoken  of  as  what  are  especially  the  charac- 
ter of  Jesus  Christ  himself,  the  great  head  of  the  christian  church. 

They  are  so  spoken  of  in  the  prophecies  of  the  Old  Testament; 
as  in  that  cited.  Matt.  xxi.  5,  "  Tell  ye  the  daughter  of  Sion,  Be- 
hold, thy  King  cometh  unto  thee,  meek,  and  sitting  upon  an  ass, 
and  a  colt,  the  foal  of  an  ass."  So  Christ  himself  speaks  of  them, 
Matt.  xi.  29,  "  Learn  of  me,  fori  am  meek  and  lowly  in  heart." 
The  same  appears  by  the  name  by  which  Christ  is  so  often  called 
in  scripture,  viz.  the  Lamb.  And  as  these  things  are  especially 
the  character  of  Christ,  so  they  are  also  especially  the  character 
of  Christians.  Christians  are  christlike;  none  deserve  the  name 
of  Christians,  that  are  not  so  in  their  prevailing  character.  "  The 
new  man  is  renewed,  after  the  image  of  him  that  creates  him," 
Col.  iii.  10.  "  All  true  Christians  behold  as  in  a  glass  the 
glory  of  the  Lord,  and  are  changed  into  the  same  image  by  his  Spi- 
rit," 2  Cor.  iii.  18.  "  The  elect  are  all  predestinated  to  be  con- 
formed to  the  image  of  the  Son  of  God,  that  he  might  be  the  first 
born  among  many  brethren,"  Rom.  viii.  29.  "  As  we  have  borne 
the  image  of  the  first  man,  that  is  earthly,  so  we  must  also  bear 
the  image  of  the  heavenly;  for  as  is  the  earthly,  such  are  they  also 
that  are  earthly;  and  as  is  the  heavenly,  such  are  they  also  that 
are  heavenly,"  1  Cor.  xv.  47,  48,  49. — Christ  is  full  of  grace; 
and  Christians  all  receive  of  his  fulness,  and  grace  for  grace;  i.  e. 
there  is  grace  in  Christians  answering  to  grace  in  Christ,  such  an 
answerableness  as  there  is  between  the  wax  and  the  seal;  there 
is  character  for  character:  such  kind  of  graces,  such  a  spirit  and 
temper,  the  same  things  that  belong  to  Christ's  character,  belong 
to  theirs.  The  disposition,  wherein  Christ's  character  does  in  a 
special  manner  consist,  therein  does  his  image  in  a  special  man- 
ner consist.  Christians  that  shine  by  reflecting  the  light  of  the 
Sun  of  righteousness,  do  shine  with  the  same  sort  of  brightness, 
the  same  mild,  sweet  and  pleasant  beams.  These  lamps  of  the 
2p 


302  '  EIGHTH  SIGN  OF 

spiritual  temple,  that  are  enkindled  by  fire  fronrheaven,  burn  witii 
the  same  sort  of  flame.  The  branch  is  of  the  same  nature  with 
the  stock  and  root,  has  the  same  sap,  and  bears  the  same  sort  of 
fruit.  The  members  have  the  same  kind  of  life  with  the  head. 
It  would  be  strange  if  Christians  should  not  be  of  the  same  tem- 
per and  spirit  that  Christ  is  of;  when  they  are  his  flesh  and  his 
bone,  yea,  are  one  spirit,  1  Cor.  vi.  17;  and  live  so,  that  it  is  not 
they  that  live,  but  Christ  that  lives  in  them.  A  christian  spirit  is 
Christ's  mark  that  he  sets  upon  the  souls  of  his  people;  his  seal 
in  their  foreheads,  bearing  his  image  and  superscription, — Chris- 
tians are  the  followers  of  Christ;  and  they  are  so,  as  they  are  obe- 
dient to  that  call  of  Christ,  Matt.  xi.  28,  29,  "  Come  to  me  and 
learn  of  me,  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  of  heart."  They  follow 
him  as  the  Lamb,  Rev.  xvi.  4,  "  These  are  they  which  follow 
the  Lamb  whithersoever  he  goeth."  True  Christians  are  as  it 
were  clothed  with  the  meek,  quiet  and  loving  temper  of  Christ; 
for  as  many  as  are  in  Christ,  have  put  on  Christ.  And  in  this 
respect  the  church  is  clothed  with  the  sun,  not  only  by  being 
clothed  with  his  imputed  righteousness,  but  also  by  being  adorned 
with  his  graces,  Rom.  xiii.  14.  Christ,  the  great  Shepherd,  is 
himself  a  Lamb,  and  believers  are  also  lambs;  all  the  flock  are 
lambs;  John  xxi.  15,  "  Feed  my  lambs."  Luke  x.  3,  "  I  send 
you  forth  as  lambs  in  the  midst  of  wolves,"  The  redemption  of 
the  church  by  Christ  from  the  power  of  the  devil,  was  typified  of 
old  by  David's  delivering  the  lamb  out  of  the  mouth  of  the  lion 
and  the  bear. 

That  such  manner  of  virtue  as  has  been  spoken  of,  is  the  very 
nature  of  the  christian  spirit,  or  the  spirit  that  worketh  in  Christ, 
and  in  his  members,  and  in  the  distinguishing  nature  of  it,  is  evi- 
dent by  this,  that  the  dove  is,  the  very  symbol  or  emblem,  chosen 
of  God,  to  represent  it.  Those  things  are  fittest  emblems  of  other 
things,  which  do  best  represent  that  which  is  most  distinguishing 
in  their  nature.  The  Spirit  that  descended  on  Christ,  when  he 
was  anointed  of  the  Father,  descended  on  him  like  a  dove.  The 
dove  is  a  noted  emblem  of  meekness,  harmlessness,  peace  and 
love.     But  the  same  Spirit  that  descended  on  the  head  of  the 


GRACIOUS   AFFECTIONS,  303 

church,  descends  to  the  niemhers.  "  God  hath  sent  forth  the  Spi- 
rit of  his  Son  into  their  hearts,"  Gal.  iv.  6,  And  "  if  any  man 
have  not  the  Spirit  of  Christ,  he  is  none  of  his,"  Rom.  viii.  9. 
There  is  but  one  Spirit  to  the  whole  mystical  body,  head  and 
members,  1  Cor.  vi.  17,  Eph.  iv.  4.  Christ  breathes  his  own 
Spirit  on  his  disciples,  John  xx.  22.  As  Christ  was  anointed 
with  the  Holy  Ghost,  descending  on  him  like  a  dove,  so  Chris- 
tians also  "  have  an  anointing  from  the  Holy  One,"  1  John  ii.  20, 
27.  And  they  are  anointed  with  the  same  oil;  it  is  the  same 
"  precious  ointment  on  the  head  that  goes  down  to  the  skirts  of 
the  garments."  And  on  both,  it  is  a  spirit  of  peace  and  love: 
Psalm  cxxxiii.  1,2,  "  Behold,  how  good  and  pleasant  it  is  for 
brethren  to  dwell  together  in  unity!  It  is  like  the  precious  oint- 
ment upon  the  head,  that  ran  down  upon  the  beard,  even  Aaron's 
beard,  that  went  down  to  the  skirts  of  his  garments."  The  oil 
on  Aaron's  garments  had  the  same  sweet  and  inimitable  odour 
with  that  of  his  head;  the  smell  of  the  same  sweet  spices,  chris- 
tian affections  and  a  christian  behaviour,  is  but  the  flowing  out 
of  the  savour  of  Christ's  sweet  ointments.  Because  the  church 
had  a  dovelike  temper  and  disposition,  therefore  it  is  said  of  her 
that  she  has  doves'  eyes;  Cant.  i.  15,  "  Behold,  thou  art  fair,  my 
love,  behold  thou  art  fair,  thou  hast  doves'  eyes."  And  chap.  vi. 
1 ,  "  Behold,  thou  art  fair,  my  love,  behold  thou  art  fair,  thou  hast 
doves'  eyes  within  thy  locks."  The  same  that  is  said  of  Christ, 
chap.  vi.  12,  "  His  eyes  are  as  the  eyes  of  doves."  And  the 
church  is  frequently  compared  to  a  dove  in  scripture;  Cant.  ii.  14, 
"  0,  my  dove,  thou  art  in  the  clefts  of  the  rock."  Chap.  v.  2, 
"  Open  to  me,  my  love,  my  dove."  And  chap.  vi.  9.  "  My  dove, 
my  undefiled  is  but  one."  Psal.  Ixviii.  13,  "  Ye  shall  be  as  the 
wings  of  a  dove,  covered  with  silver,  and  her  feathers  with  yellow 
gold."  And  Ixxiv.  19,  "  0  deliver  not  the  soul  of  thy  turtle  dove 
unto  the  multitude  of  the  wicked."  The  dove  that  Noah  sent 
out  of  the  ark,  that  could  find  no  rest  for  the  sole  of  her  foot,  un- 
til she  returned,  was  a  type  of  a  true  saint- 
Meekness  is  so  much  the  character  of  the  saints,  that  the  meek 
and  the  godly  are  used  as  synonymous  terms  in  scripture:  so  PsaJ. 


304  EIGHTH  SIGN  OF 

xxxvii.  10,  11;  the  wicked  and  the  meek  arc  set  in  opposition, 
one  to  another,  as  wicked  and  godly:  "  Yet  a  little  while  and  the 
wicked  shall  not  be:  but  the  meek  shall  inherit  the  earth."  So 
Psal.  cxlvii.  6,  ''  The  Lord  lifteth  up  the  meek:  he  casteth  the 
wicked  down  to  the  ground." 

It  is  doubtless  very  much  on  this  account,  that  Christ  repre- 
sents all  his  disciples,  all  the  heirs  of  heaven,  as  little  children, 
Matt.  xix.  14,  "  Suffer  little  children  to  come  unto  me,  and  for- 
bid them  not;  for  of  such  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  Matt.  x.  42, 
"  Whosoever  shall  give  to  drink  unto  one  of  these  little  ones,  a 
cup  of  cold  water,  in  the  name  of  a  disciple,  verily  I  say  unto 
you,  he  shall  in  nowise  lose  his  reward."  Matt,  xviii.  6,  "  Whoso 
shall  offend  one  of  these  little  ones,"  &c.  ver.  10,  "  Take  heed 
that  ye  despise  not  one  of  these  little  ones,"  ver.  14,  "  It  is  not 
the  will  of  your  Father,  which  is  in  heaven,  that  one  of  these  lit- 
tle ones  should  perish."  John  xiii.  33,  "  Little  children,  yet  a  lit- 
tle while  I  am  with  you."  Little  children  are  innocent  and  harm- 
less; they  do  not  do  a  great  deal  of  mischief  in  the  world;  men 
need  not  be  afraid  of  them;  they  are  no  dangerous  sort  of  persons; 
their  anger  does  not  last  long;  they  do  not  lay  up  injuries  in  high 
resentment,  entertaining  deep  and  rooted  malice.  So  Christians, 
in  malice,  are  children,  1  Cor.  xiv.  20.  Little  children  are  not 
guileful  and  deceitful,  but  plain  and  simple;  they  are  not  versed 
in  the  arts  of  fiction  and  deceit,  and  are  strangers  to  artful  dis- 
guises;, they  are  yieldable  and  flexible,  and  not  wilful  and  obsti- 
nate; do  not  trust  to  their  own  understanding,  but  rely  on  the  in- 
struction of  parents,  and  others  of  superior  understanding.  Here  is 
therefore  a  fit  and  lively  emblem  of  the  followers  of  the  Lamb.  Per- 
sons being  thus  like  little  children,  is  not  only  a  thing  highly  com- 
mendable, and  what  Christians  approve  and  aim  at,  and  which 
some  of  extraordinary  proficiency  do  attain  to;  but  it  is  their  uni- 
versal character,  and  absolutely  necessary  in  order  to  entering 
into  the  kingdom  of  heaven;  Matt,  xviii.  3,  "  Verily  I  say  unto 
you.  Except  ye  be  converted,  and  become  as  little  children,  ye 
shall  not  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  Markx.  15,  "  Veri- 


GRACIOUS  A^'FECTIONS.  305 

ly  I  say  unto  you,  Whosoever  shall  not  receive  the  kingdom  of 
God  as  a  little  child,  he  shall  not  enter  therein." 

But  here  some  may  be  ready  to  say,  is  there  no  such  thing 
as  christian  fortitude,  and  boldness  for  Christ,  being  good  soldiers 
in  the  christian  warfare,  and  coming  out  boldly  against  the  ene- 
mies of  Christ  and  his  people? 

To  which  I  answer.  There  doubtless  is  such  a  thing.  The 
whole  christian  life  is  compared  to  a  warfare,  and  fitly  so.  And 
the  most  eminent  Christians  are  the  best  soldiers,  endued  with 
the  greatest  degrees  of  christian  fortitude.  And  it  is  the  duty  of 
God's  people  to  be  steadfast  and  vigorous  in  their  opposition  to  the 
designs  and  ways  of  such  as  are  endeavouring  to  overthrow  the 
kingdom  of  Christ  and  the  interest  of  religion.  But  yet  many 
persons  seem  to  be  quite  mistaken  concerning  the  nature  of  chris- 
tian fortitude.  It  is  an  exceeding  diverse  thing  from  a  brutal 
fierceness,  or  the  boldness  of  the  beasts  of  prey.  True  christian 
fortitude  consists  in  strength  of  mind,  thorough  grace,  exerted  in 
two  things;  in  ruling  and  suppressing  the  evil  and  unruly  passions 
and  affections  of  the  mind,  and  in  steadfastly  and  freely  exerting 
and  following  good  affections  and  dispositions,  without  being  hin- 
dered by  sinful  fear,  or  the  opposition  of  enemies.  But  the  pas- 
sions that  are  restrained  and  kept  under,  in  the  exercise  of  this 
christian  strength  and  fortitude,  are  those  very  passions  that  are 
vigorously  and  violently  excited  in  a  false  boldness  for  Christ. 
And  those  affections  that  are  vigorously  exerted  in  true  fortitude, 
are  those  christian,  holy  affections,  that  are  directly  contrary  to 
them.  Though  christian  fortitude  appears,  in  withstanding  and 
counteracting  the  enemies  that  are  without  us;  yet  it  much  more 
appears  in  resisting  and  suppressing  the  enemies  that  are  within 
us;  because  they  are  our  worst  and  strongest  enemies,  and  have 
greatest  advantage  against  us.  The  strength  of  the  good  soldier 
of  Jesus  Christ  appears  in  nothing  more  than  in  steadfastly  main- 
taining the  holy  calm,  meekness,  sweetness,  and  benevolence  of 
his  mind,  amidst  all  the  storms,  injuries,  strange  behaviour  and 
surprising  acts  and  events  of  this  evil  and  unreasonable  world. 
The  scripture  seems  to  intimate  that  true  fortitude  consists  chiefly 


306  EIGHTH  SIGN  OF 

in  this;  Prov.  xvi.  32,  "  He  that  is  slow  to  anger,  is  better  than 
the  miglity;  and  he  that  riileth  his  spirit,  than  he  thattaketh  a  city." 
Tiic  directest  and  surest  way  in  the  world,  to  make  a  right 
judgment  what  a  holy  fortitude  is,  in  fighting  with  God's  enemies, 
is  to  look  to  the  Captain  of  all  God's  hosts,  and  our  greater  leader 
and  example,  and  see  wherein  his  fortitude  and  valour  appeared, 
in  his  chief  conflict,  and  in  the  time  of  the  greatest  battle  that  ever 
was,  or  ever  will  be  fought  with  these  enemies,  when  he  fought 
^vith  them  alone,  and  of  the  people  there  was  none  with  him,  and 
exercised  his  fortitude  in  the  highest  degree  that  ever  he  did,  and 
got  that  glorious  victory  that  will  be  celebrated  in  the  praises  and 
triumphs  of  all  the  hosts  of  heaven,  throughout  all  eternity;  even 
to  Jesus  Christ  in  the  time  of  his  last  sufferings,  when  his  enemies 
in  earth  and  hell  made  their  most  violent  attack  upon  him,  com- 
passing him  round  on  every  side,  like  renting  and  roaring  lions. 
Doubtless  here  we  shall  see  the  fortitude  of  a  holy  warrior  and 
champion  in  the  cause  of  God,  in  its  highest  perfection  and  great- 
est lustre,  and  an  example  fit  for  the  soldiers  to  follow  that  fight 
under  this  Captain.  But  how  did  he  show  his  holy  boldness  and 
valour  at  that  time?  Not  in  the  exercise  of  any  fiery  passions;  not 
in  fierce  and  violent  speeches,  and  vehemently  declaiming  against 
and  crying  out  of  the  intolerable  wickedness  of  opposers,  giving 
them  their  own  in  plain  terms:  but  in  not  opening  his  mouth  when 
afflicted  and  oppressed,  in  going  as  a  lamb  to  the  slaughter,  and 
as  a  sheep  before  his  shearers  is  dumb,  not  opening  his  mouth; 
praying  that  the  Father  would  forgive  his  cruel  enemies  because 
they  knew  not  what  they  did;  not  shedding  others'  blood,  but 
with  all-conquering  patience  and  love,  shedding  his  own.  Indeed 
one  of  his  disciples,  that  made  a  forward  pretence  to  boldness  for 
Christ,  and  confidently  declared  he  would  sooner  die  with  Christ 
than  deny  him,  began  to  lay  about  him  with  a  sword:  but  Christ 
meekly  rebukes  him,  and  heals  the  wound  he  gives.  And  never 
was  the  patience,  meekness,  love,  and  forgiveness  of  Christ  in  so 
glorious  a  manifestation,  as  at  that  time.  Never  did  he  appear  so 
much  a  lamb,  never  did  he  show  so  much  of  the  dovelike  spirit, 
as  at  that  time.     If  therefore  we  see  anv  of  the  followers  of  Christ, 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  307 

in  the  midst  of  the  most  violent,  unreasonable,  and  wicked  oppo- 
sition of  God's  and  his  own  enemies,  maintaining  under  all  this 
temptation,  the  humility,  quietness,  and  gentleness  of  a  lamb,  and 
the  harmlessness,  and  love,  and  sweetness  of  a  dove,  we  may  well 
judge  that  here  is  a  good  soldier  of  Jesus  Christ. 

When  persons  are  fierce  and  violent,  and  exert  their  sharp  and 
bitter  passions,  it  shows  weakness,  instead  of  strength  and  forti- 
tude. 1  Cor.  iii.  at  the  beginning,  "■  And  I,  brethren,  could  not 
speak  unto  you  as  unto  spiritual,  but  as  unto  carnal,  even  as  unto 
babes  in  Christ.  For  ye  are  yet  carnal:  for  whereas  there  is 
among  you  envying,  and  strife,  and  divisions,  are  ye  not  carnal, 
and  walk  as  men?" 

There  is  a  pretended  boldness  for  Christ  that  arises  from  no 
better  principle  than  pride.  A  man  may  be  forward  to  expose 
himself  to  the  dislike  of  the  world,  and  even  to  provoke  their  dis- 
pleasure out  of  pride.  For  it  is  the  nature  of  spiritual  pride  to 
cause  men  to  seek  distinction  and  singularity;  and  so  oftentimes 
to  set  themselves  at  war  with  those  that  they  call  carnal,  that  they 
may  be  more  highly  exalted  among  their  party.  True  boldness 
for  Christ  is  universal,  and  overcomes  all,  and  carries  men  above 
the  displeasure  of  friends  and  foes;  so  that  they  will  forsake  all 
rather  than  Christ;  and  will  rather  offend  all  parties,  and  be  thought 
meanly  of  by  all,  than  offend  Christ.  And  that  duty  which  tries 
whether  a  man  is  willing  to  be  despised  by  them  that  are  of  his 
own  party,  and  thought  the  least  worthy  to  be  regarded  by  them, 
is  a  much  more  proper  trial  of  his  boldness  for  Christ,  than  his 
being  forward  to  expose  himself  to  the  reproach  of  opposers.  The 
apostle  sought  not  glory,  not  only  of  Heathens  and  Jens,  but  of 
Christians;  as  he  declares,  1  Tbess.  ii.  26.1  He  is  bold  for  Christ, 
that  has  christian  fortitude  enough,  to  confess  his  fault  openly, 
when  he  has  committed  one  that  requires  it,  and  as  it  were  to 
come  down  upon  his  knees  before  opposers.     Such  things  as  these 

■}■  Ml*.  Shepard,  speaking  of  liypocrites  HfTecting  applause,  says,  "Hence 
men  forsake  their  friends,  and  trample  under  foot  tlie  scorns  of  the  world: 
they  have  credit  elsewhere.  To- maintain  their  inlerist  in  the  love  ot  godly 
men,  they  will  .siitter  much."     Parable  of  the  Ten  Virgins,  I'art  1.  p,  180 


308  EIGHTH    SIGN   OF 

are  of  vastly  greater  evidence  of  holy  boldness,  than  resc^utely  and 
fiercely  confronting  opposers. 

As  some  are  much,  mistaken  concerning  the  nature  of  true  bold- 
ness for  Christ,  so  they  are  concerning  christian  zeal.  It  is  indeed 
a  flame,  but  a  sweet  one;  or  rather  it  is  the  heat  and  fervour  of  a 
sweet  flame.  For  the  flame  of  which  it  is  the  heat,  is  no  other 
than  that  of  divine  love,  or  christian  charity;  which  is  the  sweet- 
est and  most  benevolent  thing  that  is,  or  can  be,  in  the  heart  of 
man  or  angel.  Zeal  is  the  fervour  of  this  flame,  as  it  ardently 
and  vigorously  goes  out  towards  the  good  that  is  its  object,  in  de- 
sires of  it,  and  pursuit  after  it;  gnd  so  consequentially,  in  oppo- 
sition to  the  evil  that  is  contrary  to  it,  and  impedes  it.  There  is 
indeed  opposition,  and  vigorous  opposition,  that  is  a  part  of  it,  or 
rather  is  an  attendant  of  it;  but  is  against  things,  and  not  persons. 
Bitterness  against  the  persons  of  men  is  no  part  of  it,  but  it  is  very 
contrary  to  it;  insomuch  that  so  much  the  warmer  true  zeal  is, 
and  the  higher  it  is  raised,  so  much  the  farther  are  persons  from 
such  bitterness,  and  so  much  fuller  of  love,  both  to  the  evil  and 
to  the  good.  As  appears  from  what  has  been  just  now  observed, 
that  it  is  no  other,  in  its  very  nature  and  essence,  than  the  fervour 
of  a  spirit  of  christia«  love.  And  as  to  what  opposition  there  is 
in  it  to  things,  it  is  firstly  and  chiefly  against  the. evil  things  in 
the  person  himself,  who  has  this  zeal;  against  the  enemies  of  God 
and  holiness,  that  are  in  his  own  heart;  (as  these  are  most  in  his 
view,  and  what  he  has  most  to  do  with)  and  but  secondarily 
against  the  sins  of  others.  And  therefore  there  is  nothing  in  a 
true  christian  zeal,  that  is  contrary  to  that  spirit  of  meekness, 
gentleness,  and  love,  that  spirit  of  a  little  child,  a  lamb  and  dove, 
that  has  been  spoken  of;  but  it  is  entirely  agreeable  to  it,  and  tends 
to  promote  it. 

But  to  say  something  particularly  concerning  this  christian  spirit 
I  have  been  speaking  of,  as  exercised  in  these  three  things,  for- 
giveness, love,  and  mercy;  I  would  observe  that  the  scripture  is 
very  clear  and  express  concerning  the  absolute  necessity  of  each 
of  these,  as  belonging  to  the  temper  and  character  of  every  Chris- 
tian. 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  309 

It  is  SO  as  to  a  forgiving  spirit,  or  a  disposition  to  overlook  and 
ibrgive  injuries.  Christ  gives  it  to  us  both  as  a  negative  and  posi- 
tive evidence;  and  is  express  in  teaching  us,  that  if  we  are  of 
such  a  spirit,  it  is  a  sign  that  we  are  in  a  state  of  forgiveness  and 
favour  ourselves:  and  that  if  we  are  not  of  such  a  spirit,  we  are 
not  forgiven  of  God;  and  seems  to  take  special  care  that  we  should 
take  good  notice  of  it,  and  always  bear  it  in  our  minds.  Matt.  vi. 
12,  14,  15,  "Forgive  us  our  debts  as  we  forgive  our  debtors. 
For  if  ye  forgive  men  their  trespasses,  your  heavenly  Father 
will  also  forgive  you.  But  if  ye  forgive  not  men  their  trespasses, 
neither  will  your  Father  forgive  your  trespasses."  Christ  express- 
es the  same  again  at  another  time,  Mark  xi.  25,  26,  and  again 
in  Matt,  xviii.  22,  to  the  end,  in  the  parable  of  the  servant  that 
owed  his  lord  ten  thousand  talents,  that  would  not  forgive  his  fel- 
low servant  an  hundred  pence;  and  therefore  was  delivered  to  the 
tormentors.  In  the  application  of  the  parable,  Christ  says,  ver, 
35,  "  So  likewise  shall  my  heavenly  Father  do,  if  ye  from  your 
hearts  forgive  not  every  one  his  brother  their  trespasses." 

And  that  all  true  saints  are  of  a  loving,  benevolent,  and  benifi- 
cent  temper,  the  scripture  is  very  plain  and  abundant.  Witliout 
it  the  apostle  tells  us,  though  we  should  speak  with  the  tongues  of 
men  and  angels,  we  are  as  a  sounding  brass,  or  a  tinkling  cymbal; 
and  that  though  we  have  the  gift  of  prophecy,  and  understand  all 
mysteries,  and  all  knowledge,  yet  without  this  spirit  we  are  nothing. 
And  there  is  no  one  virtue  or  disposition  of  the  mind,  that  is  so 
often,  and  so  expressly  insisted  on,  in  the  marks  that  are  laid  down 
in  the  New  Testament,  whereby  to  know  true  Christians.  It  is 
often  given  as  a  sign  that  is  peculiarly  distinguishing,  by  which 
all  may  know  Christ's  disciples,  and  by  which  they  may  know 
themselves;  and  is  often  laid  down,  both  as  a  negative  and  posi- 
tive evidence.  Christ  calls  the  law  of  love,  by  way  of  eminency, 
his  commandment,  John  xiii.  34,  "A  new  commandment  give  I 
unto  you,  that  ye  love  one  another;  as  I  have  loved  you,  that  ye 
also  love  one  another."  And  chap.  xv.  12,  "This  is  my  com- 
mandment, that  ye  love  one  another  as  I  have  loved  you."  And 
ver,  17,  "  These  things  I  command  vou.  that  ve  love  one  another '■ 


310  EIGHTH  SIGN    OF 

And  says,  chap.  xiii.  35,  "  By  this  shall  all  men  know  that  ye 
are  my  disciples,  if  ye  have  love  one  to  another."  And  chap.  xiv. 
21,  (still  with  a  special  reference  to  this  which  he  calls  his  com- 
mandment) "  He  that  hath  my  commandments,  and  keepeth  them, 
he  it  is  that  loveth  me."  The  beloved  disciple  who  had  so  much 
of  this  sweet  temper  himself,  abundantly  insists  on  it,  in  his  epis- 
tles. There  is  none  of  the  apostles  so  much  in  laying  down  ex- 
press signs  of  grace,  for  professors  to  try  themselves  by,  as  he;  and 
in  his  signs,  he  insists  scarcely  on  any  thing  else,  but  a  spirit  of 
christian  love,  and  an  agreeable  practice,  1  John  ii.  9,  10,  "He 
that  saith  he  is  in  the  light,  and  hateth  his  brother,  is  in  darkness 
even  until  now.  He  that  loveth  his  brother  abideth  in  the  light 
and  there  is  none  occasion  of  stumbling  in  him."  Chap.  iii.  14, 
"  We  know  that  we  are  passed  from  death  unto  life,  because  we 
love  the  brethren:  he  that  loveth  not  his  brother  abideth  in  death," 
ver.  18,  19,  "  My  little  children,  let  us  not  love  in  w^ord  and  in 
tongue,  but  in  deed  and  in  truth.  And  hereby  we  know  that  wc 
are  of  the  truth,  and  shall  assure  our  hearts  before  him;"  ver.  23, 
24,  "  This  is  his  commandment,  that  we  should  love  one  another. 
And  he  that  keepeth  his  commandments  dwelleth  in  him,  and  he 
in  him;  and  hereby  we  know  that  he  abideth  in  us,  by  the  spirit 
which  he  hath  given  us."  Chap.  iv.  7,  8,  "  Beloved,  let  us  love 
one  another;  for  love  is  of  God;  and  every  one  that  loveth,  is  born 
of  God,  and  knoweth  God.  He  that  loveth  not,  knoweth  not  God: 
for  God  is  love;"  ver.  12,  13,  "  No  man  hath  seen  God  at  any 
time.  If  we  love  one  another,  God  dwelleth  in  us,  and  his  love 
is  perfected  in  us.  Hereby  know  we  that  we  dwell  in  him,  be- 
cause he  hath  given  us  of  his  Spirit;"  ver.  16,  "God  is  love; 
and  he  that  dwelleth  in  love,  dwelleth  in  God,  and  God  in  him," 
ver.  20,  "  If  a  man  say  I  love  God,  and  hateth  his  brother,  he  is 
a  liar:  for  he  that  loveth  not  his  brother,  whom  he  hath  seen,  how 
can  he  love  God  whom  he  hath  not  seen?" 

And  the  scripture  is  as  plain  as  it  is  possible  it  should  be,  thai 
none  are  true  saints,  but  those  whose  true  character  it  is,  that 
they  are  of  a  disposition  to  pity  and  relieve  their  fellow  creatures, 
that  are 4ioor,  indigent,  and  afflicted,  Psal.  xxxvii.  21,   "The 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  311 

righteous  showeth  mercy,  and  giveth,"  ver.  26,  "  He  is  merciful, 
and  lendeth,"  Psal.  cxii.  5,  "  He  hath  dispersed  abroad,  and  given 
to  the  poor,"  Prov.  xiv.  31,  "He  that  honoureth  God,  hath  mer- 
cy on  the  poor,"  Prov.  xxi.  26,  "The  righteous  giveth,  and  spareth 
not,"  Jer.  xxii.  1 6,  "  He  judgeth  the  cause  of  the  poor  and  needy, 
then  it  was  well  with  him:  was  not  this  to  know  me?  saith  the 
Lord,"  Jam.  i,  27,  "Pure  religion  and  undefiled before  God  and 
the  Father,  is  this,  To  visit  the  fatherless  and  widows  in  their 
affliction,"  &c.  Hos.  vi.  6,  "For  I  have  desired  mercy,  and  not 
sacrifice;  and  the  knowledge  of  God,  more  than  burnt  offerings;" 
Matt.  V.  7,  "  Blessed  are  the  merciful;  for  they  shall  obtain  mer- 
cy." 2  Cor.  viii.  8,  "I  speak  not  by  commandment,  but  by  oc- 
casion of  the  forwardness  of  others,  and  to  prove  the  sincerity  of 
your  love."  Jam.  ii.  13 — 16,  "  For  he  shall  have  judgment  with- 
out mercy,  that  hath  showed  no  mercy.  What  doth  it  profit,  my 
brethren,  though  a  man  say  he  hath  faith,  and  have  not  works? 
Can  faith  save  him?  If  a  brother  or  sister  be  naked,  and  des- 
titute of  daily  food;  and  one  of  you  say  unto  them,  depart  in 
peace,  be  you  warmed  and  filled;  notwithstanding  ye  give  them 
not  those  things  which  are  needful  to  the  body,  what  doth  it  profit?" 
1  John  iii.  17,  "  Whoso  hath  this  world's  good,  and  seeth  his 
brother  have  need,  and  shutteth  up  his  bowels  of  compassion  from 
him,  how  dwelleth  the  love  of  God  in  him?"  Christ  in  that  de- 
scription he  gives  us  of  the  day  of  judgment,  Matt.  xxv.  (which  is 
the  most  particular  that  we  have  in  all  the  Bible)  represents  that 
judgment  will  be  passed  at  that  day,  according  as  men  have  been 
found  to  have  been  of  a  merciful  spirit  and  practice,  or  otherwise. 
Christ's  design  in  giving  such  a  description  of  the  process  of  that 
day,  is  plainly  to  possess  all  his  followers  with  that  apprehension, 
that  unless  this  was  their  spirit  and  practice,  there  was  no  hope  of 
their  being  accepted  and  owned  by  him  at  that  day.  Therefore 
this  is  an  apprehension  that  we  ought  to  be  possessed  with.  We 
find  in  scripture,  that  a  righteous  man,  and  a  merciful  man  are 
synonymous  expressions,  Isa.  Ivii.  1,  "  The  righteous  perisheth, 
and  no  man  layeth  it  to  heart;  and  merciful  men  are  taken  away 
none  considering  that  the  righteous  is  taken  away,  from  the  evil 
to  come." 


31S  fclGHTH  SIGN  OF 

Thus  we  see  how  full,  clear  and  abundant,  the  evidence  from 
scripture  is,  that  those  who  are  truly  gracious,  are  under  the  gov- 
ernment of  that  lamblike,  dovelike  Spirit  of  Jesus  Christ,  and 
that  this  is  essentially  and  eminently  the  nature  of  the  saving 
grace  of  the  gospel,  and  the  proper  spirit  of  true  Christianity.  We 
may  therefore  undoubtedly  determine  that  all  truly  christian  af- 
fections are  attended  with  such  a  spirit,  and  that  this  is  the  na- 
tural tendency  of  the  fear  and  hope,  the  sorrow  and  the  joy,  the 
confidence  and  the  zeal  of  true  Christians. 

None  will  understand  me,  that  true  Christians  have  no  remains 
of  a  contrary  spirit,  and  can  never,  in  any  instance,  be  guilty  of 
a  behaviour  disagreeable  to  such  a  spirit.  But  this  I  affirm,  and 
shall  affirm,  until  I  deny  the  Bible  to  be  any  thing  worth,  that 
every  thing  in  Christians  that  belongs  to  true  Christianity,  is  of 
this  tendency,  and  works  this  way;  and  that  there  is  no  true 
Christian  upon  earth,  but  is  so  under  the  prevailing  power  of  such 
a  spirit,  that  he  is  properly  denominated  from  it,  and  it  is  truly 
and  justly  his  character:  and  that  therefore  ministers  and  others 
have  no  warrant  from  Christ  to  encourage  persons  that  are  of  a 
contrary  character  and  behaviour  to  think  they  are  converted,  be- 
cause they  tell  a  fair  story  of  illuminations  and  discoveries.  In 
so  doing,  they  would  set  up  their  own  wisdom  against  Christ's, 
and  judge  without  and  against  that  rule  by  which  Christ  has  de- 
clared all  men  should  know  his  disciples.  Some  persons  place 
religion  so  much  in  certain  transient  illuminations  and  impres- 
sions (especially  if  they  are  in  such  a  particular  method  and  or- 
der) and  so  little  in  the  spirit  and  temper  persons  are  of,  that  they 
greatly  deform  religion,  and  form  notions  of  Christianity  quite 
different  from  what  it  is,  as  delineated  in  the  scriptures.  The 
scripture  knows  of  no  such  true  Christians  as  are  of  a  sordid,  self- 
ish, cross  and  contentious  spirit.  Nothing  can  be  invented  that 
is  a  greater  absurdity,  than  a  morose,  hard,  close,  high  spirited, 
spiteful  true  Christian.  We  must  learn  the  way  of  bringing  men 
to  rules,  and  not  rules  to  men,  and  so  strain  and  stretch  the  rules 
of  God's  word,  to  take  in  ourselves  and  some  of  our  neighbours. 
Until  we  make  them  wholly  of  none  eifect. 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  31S 

It  is  true,  that  allowances  must  be  made  for  mens  natural  tem- 
j  per,  with  regard  to  these  things  as  well  as  others;  but  not  such 
allowances,  as  to  allow  men  that  once  were  wolves  and  serpents, 
to  be  now  converted,  without  any  remarkable  change  in  the  spi- 
/'vit  of  their  mind.  The  change  made  by  true  conversion  is  wont 
to  be  most  remarkable  and  sensible,  with  respect  to  that  which 
before  was  the  wickedness  the  person  was  most  notoriously  guilty 
of.  Grace  has  as  great  a  tendency  to  restrain  and  mortify  such 
sins  as  are  contrary  to  the  spirit  that  has  been  spoken  of,  as  it  is 
to  mortify  drunkenness  and  lasciviousness.  Yea,  the  scripture  re- 
presents the  change  wrought  by  gospel  grace,  as  especially  ap- 
pearing in  an  alteration  of  the  former  sort;  Isa.  xi.  6 — 9.  "  The 
wolf  shall  dwell  with  the  lamb,  and  the  leopard  shall  lie  down 
with  the  kid:  and  the  calf,  and  the  young  lion,  and  the  fatling  to- 
gether, and  a  little  child  shall  lead  them.  And  the  cow  and  the 
bear  shall  feed,  their  young  ones  shall  lie  down  together:  and  the 
lion  shall  eat  straw  like  the  ox.  And  the  sucking  child  shall  play 
on  the  hole  of  the  asp,  and  the  weaned  child  shall  put  his  hand 
on  the  cockatrice  den.  They  shall  not  hurt  nor  destroy  in  all  my 
holy  mountain:  for  the  earth  shall  be  full  of  the  knowledge  of  the 
Lord,  as  the  waters  cover  the  sea."  And  to  the  same  purpose  is  Isa. 
Ixv.  25.  Accordingly  we  find  that  in  the  primitive  times  of  the 
christian  church,  converts  were  remarkably  changed  in  this  respect; 
Tit.  iii.  3,  &c.  "  For  we  ourselves  also  were  sometimes  foolish,  diso- 
bedient, deceived,  serving  divers  lusts  and  pleasures,  living  in  ma- 
lice and  envy,  hateful  and  hating  one  another.  But  after  that 
the  kindness  and  love  of  God  our  Saviour  towards  man  appeared; 
he  saved  us  by  the  washing  of  regeneration,  and  renewing  of  the 
Holy  Ghost."  And  Col.  iii.  7.  8,  "  In  the  which  ye  also  walk- 
ed some  time,  when  ye  lived  in  them.  But  now  you  also  put  off 
all  these:  anger,  wrath,  malice,  blasphemy,  filthy  communications 
out  of  your  mouth." 

IX.  Gracious  affections  soften  the  heart,  and  are  attended  and 
followed  with  a  christian  tenderness  of  spirit. 

False  affections,  however  persons  may  seem  to  be  melted  l)y 
f  them  while  they  are  new,  yet  have  a  tendency  in  the  end  to 


314  NINTH  SIGN  or 

harden  the  heart.  A  disposition  to  some  kind  of  passions  may  be 
established;  such  as  imply  self-seeking,  self-exaltation,  and  op- 
position to  others.  But  false  affections,  with  the  delusion  that  at- 
tends them,  finally  tend  to  stupify  the  mind,  and  shut  it  up  against 
those  affections  wherein  tenderness  of  heart  consists:  and  the  ef- 
fect of  them  at  last  is,  that  persons  in  the  settled  frame  of  their 
minds,  become  less  affected  with  their  present  and  past  sins,  and 
less  conscientious  with  respect  to  future  sins,  less  moved  with 
the  warnings  and  cautions  of  God's  word,  or  God's  chastise- 
ments in  his  providence,  more  careless  of  the  frame  of  their 
hearts,  and  the  manner  and  tendency  of  their  behaviour,  less 
quick-sighted  to  discern  what  is  sinful,  less  afraid  of  the  appear- 
ance of  evil,  than  they  were  while  they  were  under  legal  awak- 
enings and  fears  of  hell.  Now  they  have  been  the  subjects  of 
such  and  such  impressions  and  affections,  and  have  a  high  opi- 
nion of  themselves,  and  look  on  their  state  to  be  safe;  they  can 
be  much  more  easy  than  before,  in  living  in  the  neglect  of  duties 
that  are  troublesome  and  inconvenient;  and  are  much  more  slow 
and  partial  in  complying  with  difficult  commands;  are  in  no  mea- 
sure so  alarmed  at  the  appearance  of  their  own  defects  and  trans- 
gressions; are  emboldened  to  favour  themselves  more,  with  re- 
spect to  their  labour,  and  painful  care  and  exactness  in  their 
walk,  and  more  easily  yield  to  temptations,  and  the  solicitations 
of  their  lusts;  and  have  far  less  care  of  their  behaviour,  when  they 
come  into  the  holy  presence  of  God,  in  the  time  of  public  or  pri- 
vate worship.  Formerly  it  may  be,  under  legal  convictions,  they 
took  much  pains  in  religion,  and  denied  themselves  in  many 
things:  but  now  they  think  themselves  out  of  danger  of  hell, 
they  very  much  put  off  the  burden  of  the  cross,  and  save  them- 
selves the  trouble  of  difficult  duties,  and  allow  themselves  more 
in  the  enjoyment  of  their  ease  and  their  lusts. 

Such  persons  as  these,  instead  of  embracing  Christ  as  their 
saviour  from  sin,  trust  in  him  as  the  saviour  of  their  sins;  in- 
stead of  flying  to  him  as  their  refuge  from  their  spiritual  ene- 
mies, they  make  use  of  him  as  the  defence  of  their  spiritual  ene- 
mies, from  God,  and  to  strengthen  them  against  him.  They  make 


CTRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  315 

Christ  the  minister  of  sin,  and  great  officer  and  vicegerent  of  the 
devil,  to  strengthen  his  interest,  and  make  him  above  all  things 
in  the  world  strong  against  Jehovah;  so  that  they  may  sin  against 
him  with  good  courage,  and  without  any  fear,  being  effectually 
secured  from  restraints,  by  his  most  solemn  warnings  and  most 
awful  threatenings.  They  trust  in  Christ  to  preserve  to  them  the 
quiet  enjoyment  of  their  sins,  and  to  be  their  shield  to  defend 
them  from  God's  displeasure;  while  they  come  close  to  him,  even 
to  his  bosom,  the  place  of  his  children,  to  fight  against  him,  with 
their  mortal  weapons,  hid  under  their  skirts. f  However,  some  of 

f  "  These  are  hypocrites  that  believe,  but  fail  in  regard  of  the  use  of  the 
gospel,  and  of  the  Loi'd  Jesus.  And  these  we  read  oi',  Jude  3,  viz.  of  some 
men  that  did  turn  grace  into  wantonness.  For  therein  appears  the  exceed- 
ing evil  of  a  man's  heart,  that  not  only  the  law,  but  also  the  glorious  gospel 
of  the  Lord  Jesus,  works  in  him  all  manner  of  unrighteousness.  And  it  is 
too  common  for  men  at  tlie  first  work  of  conversion,  O  then  to  cry  for 
grace  and  Christ,  and  afterwards  grow  licentious,  live  and  lie  in  the  breach 
of  the  law,  and  take  their  warrant  for  their  course  from  the  gospel!"  S/iep- 
ard's  Parable,  Part  I.  p.  126. 

Again,  p.  232,  Mr.  Shepard  speaks  of  such  hypocrites  as  those  "  who, 
like  strange  eggs,  being  put  into  the  same  nest,  where  honest  men  have 
lived,  they  have  been  hatched  up;  and  when  they  are  young  keep  their 
nest,  and  live  by  crying  and  opening  their  mouths  wide  after  the  Lord,  and 
the  food  of  his  word;  but  when  their  wings  are  grown,  and  they  have  got 
some  affections,  some  knowledge,  some  hope  of  mercy,  are  hardened  there- 
by to  fly  from  God.  And  adds,  "  Can  that  man  be  good  whom  God's  grace 
makes  worse." 

Again,  part  II.  p.  167;  "  When  men  fly  to  Christ  in  time  of  peace,  that  so 
they  may  preserve  their  sins  with  greater  peace  of  conscience,  so  that  sin 
makes  them  fly  to  Christ  as  well  as  miserj',  not  that  they  may  destroy  and 
abolish  sin,  but  that  they  may  be  preserved  in  their  sins  with  peace;  then 
men  may  be  said  to  apprehend  Christ  only  by  a  seeming  faitli. — Many  a 
heart  secretly  saith  this,  if  I  can  have  my  sin,  and  peace,  and  conscience 
quiet  for  the  present,  and  God  merciful  to  pardon  it  afterward,  hence  he 
doth  rely  (as  he  saith)  only  on  the  mercy  of  God  in  Christ,  and  now  this 
hardens  and  blinds  him,  and  makes  him  secure,  and  his  faith  is  sermon-proof, 
nothing  stirs  him.  And  were  it  not  for  their  faith  they  should  despair,  but 
this  keeps  them  up.  And  now  they  think  if  they  have  any  trouble  of  mind, 
the  devil  troubles  them;  and  so  make  Clirist  and  faith  protectors  of  sin,  not 
purifiers  from  sin,  which  is  most  cireadful;  turning  grace  to  wantonness,  as 
they  did  sacrifice.    So  these  would  sin  under  the  shadow  of  Christ,  because 


316  NINTH  SIGN  OP 

these,  at  the  same  thiie,  make  a  great  profession  of  love  to  God, 
and  assurance  of  his  favour,  and  great  joy  in  tasting  the  sweet- 
ness of  his  love. 

After  this  manner  they  trusted  in  Christ,  that  the  apostle  Jude 
speaks  of,  who  crept  in  among  the  saints  unknown,  but  were 
really  ungodly  men,  turning  the  grace  of  God  into  lasciviousness, 
Jude  4.  These  are  they  that  trust  in  their  being  righteous,  and 
because  God  has  promised  that  the  righteous  shall  surely  live,  or 
certainly  be  saved,  are  therefore  emboldened  to  commit  iniquity, 
whom  God  threatens  in  Ezek.  xxxiii.  13,  "When  I  shall  say  to 
the  righteous,  that  he  shall  surely  live;  if  he  trust  to  his  own 
righteousness,  and  commit  iniquity,  all  his  righteousness  shall  not 
be  remembered  but  for  his  iniquity  that  he  hath  committed,  he 
shall  die  for  it." 

Gracious  affections  are  of  a  quite  contrary  tendency;  they  turn 
a  heart  of  stone  more  and  more  into  a  heart  of  flesh.  A  holy 
love  and  hope  are  principles  that  are  vastly  more  efficacious  upon 
the  heart,  to  make  it  tender,  and  to  fill  it  with  a  dread  of  sin,  or 
whatever  might  displease  and  offend  God,  and  to  engage  it  to 
watchfulness,  and  care,  and  strictness,  than  a  slavish  fear  of  hell. 
Gracious  affections,  as  was  observed  before,  flow  out  of  a  contrite 
heart,  or  (as  the  word  signifies)  a  bruised  heart,  bruised  and  bro- 
ken with  godly  sorrow;  which  makes  the  heart  tender,  as  bruised 
flesh  is  tender,  and  easily  hurt.  Godly  sorrow  has  much  greater 
influence  to  make  the  heart  tender,  than  mere  legal  sorrow  from 
selfish  principles. 

The  tenderness  of  the  heart  of  a  true  Christian,  is  elegantly 
signified  by  our  Saviour,  in  his  comparing  such  a  one  to  a  little 

the  shadow  is  good  and  sweet,  Mic.  iii.  11  They  had  subtile  sly  ends  in 
good  duties;  for  therein  may  lie  a  man's  sin,  yet  they  lean  upon  the  Lord, — 
When  money-changers  came  into  the  temple,  *'  You  have  made  it  a  den  of 
thieves."  Thieves,  when  hunted,  fly  to  their  den  or  cave,  and  there  they 
are  secure  against  all  searches  and  hue-and-cries:  so  here,  Uut  Christ 
whipped  them  out.  So  when  men  are  pursued  with  cries  and  fears  of  con- 
science, away  to  Christ  they  go  as  to  their  den,  not  as  saints,  to  pru)  and 
lament  out  the  life  of  their  sin  there,  but  to  preserve  their  sin.  This  is 
vile;  will  the  Lord  receive  svtch? 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  317 

diild.  The  flesh  of  a  little  child  is  very  tender;  so  is  the  heart 
of  one  that  is  new  born.  This  is  represented  in  what  we  are  told 
of  Naaman's  cure  of  his  leprosy,  by  his  washing  in  Jordan;  which 
was  undoubtedly  a  type  of  the  renewing  of  the  soul,  by  washing 
in  the  laver  of  regeneration.  We  are  told,  2  Kings  v.  14,  that 
"  he  went  down  and  dipped  himself  seven  times  in  Jordan,  accord- 
ing to  the  saying  of  the  man  of  God:  and  his  flesh  came  again  like  un^ 
to  the  flesh  of  a  little  child."  Not  only  is  the  flesh  of  a  little  child  ten- 
der, but  his  mind  is  tender.  A  little  child  has  his  heart  easily  moved, 
wrought  upon  and  bowed:  so  is  a  Christian  in  spiritual  things.  A 
little  child  is  apt  to  be  affected  with  sympathy,  to  weep  with  them 
that  weep,  and  can  not  well  bear  to  see  others  in  distress:  so  it  is 
with  a  Christian,  John  xi.  35,  Rom.  xii.  15,  1  Cor.  xii.  26.  A 
little  child  is  easily  won  by  kindness:  so  is  a  Christian.  A  little 
child  is  easily  affected  with  grief  at  temporal  evils,  and  has  his 
heart  melted,  and  falls  a  weeping:  thus  tender  is  the  heart  of  a 
Christian,  with  regard  to  the  evil  of  sin.  A  little  child  is  easily 
affrighted  at  the  appearance  of  outward  evils,  or  any  thing  that 
threatens  its  hurt:  so  is  a  Christian  apt  to  be  alarmed  at  the  ap- 
pearance of  moral  evil,  and  any  thing  that  threatens  the  hurt  of 
the  soul.  A  little  child,  when  it  meets  enemies  or  fierce  beasts 
is  not  apt  to  trust  its  own  strength,  but  flies  to  its  parents  for  re» 
fuge:  so  a  saint  is  not  self-confident  in  engaging  spiritual  enemies, 
but  flies  to  Christ.  A  little  child  is  apt  to  be  suspicious  of  evil 
in  places  of  danger,  afraid  in  the  dark,  afraid  when  left  alone,  or 
far  from  home:  so  is  a  saint  apt  to  be  sensible  of  his  spiritual  dan- 
gers, jealous  of  himself,  full  of  fear  when  he  can  not  see  his  way 
plain  before  him,  afraid  to  be  left  alone,  and  be  at  a  distance 
from  God,  Prov.  xxviii.  14,  "  Happy  is  the  man  that  feareth  al- 
way:  but  he  that  hardeneth  his  heart  shall  fall  into  mischief."  A 
little  child  is  apt  to  be  afraid  of  superiors,  and  to  dread  their  an- 
ger, and  tremble  at  their  frowns  and  threatenings:  so  is  a  true 
saint  with  respect  to  God,  Psal.  cxix.  120,  "  My  flesh  trembleth 
for  fear  of  thee,  and  I  am  afraid  of  thy  judgments."  Isa.  Ixvi.  2, 
"  To  this  man  will  I  look,  even  to  him  that  is  poor,  and  trem- 
bleth at  my  word."  Ver.  5,  "  Hear  ye  the  word  of  the  Lord,  ye 
<hat  tremble  at  his  word."  Ezra  ix,  4,  "  Then  were  assembled 


318  NINTH  SIGN  OF 

unto  me  every  one  that  trembled  at  the  words  of  the  God  of  Is- 
rael." Chap.  X.  3,  "  According  to  the  council  of  my  Lord,  and 
of  these  that  tremble  at  the  commandment  of  our  God."  A  little 
child  approaches  superiors  with  awe:  so  do  the  saints  approach  God 
with  holy  awe  and  reverence:  Job.  xiii.  2,  "  Shall  not  his  excel- 
lency make  you  afraid?  And  his  dread  fall  upon  you?"  Holy 
fear  is  so  much  the  nature  of  true  godliness,  that  it  is  called  in 
scripture  by  no  other  name  more  frequently  than  the  fear  of  God. 

Hence  gracious  affections  do  not  tend  to  make  men  bold,  for- 
ward, noisy  and  boisterous;  but  rather  to  speak  trembling:  Hos. 
xiii.  1,  "  When  Ephraim  spake,  trembling,  he  exalted  himself  in 
Israel;  but  when  he  offended  in  Baal,  he  died;"  and  to  clothe  with 
a  kind  of  holy  fear  in  all  their  behaviour  towards  God  and  man; 
agreeably  to  Psal.  ii.  11,  1  Pet.  iii.  15,  2  Cor.  vii.  15,  Eph.  vi. 
5,  1  Pet.  iii.  2,  Rom.  xi.  20. 

But  here  some  may  object  and  say,  is  there  no  such  thing  as  a 
holy  boldness  in  prayer,  and  the  duties  of  divine  worship?  I  an- 
swer, there  is  doubtless  such  a  thing;  and  it  is  chiefly  to  be  found 
in  eminent  saints,  persons  of  great  degrees  of  faith  and  love.  But 
this  holy  boldness  is  not  in  the  least  opposite  to  reverence;  though 
it  be  to  disunion  and  servility.  It  abolishes  or  lessens  that  dis- 
position which  arises  from  moral  distance  or  alienation;  and  also 
distance  of  relation,  as  that  of  a  slave;  but  not  at  all  that  which 
becomes  the  natural  distance,  whereby  we  are  infinitely  inferior. 
No  boldness  in  poor  sinful  worms  of  the  dust,  that  have  a  right 
sight  of  God  and  themselves,  will  prompt  them  to  approach  to 
God  with  less  fear  and  reverence  than  spotless  and  glorious  angels 
in  heaven,  who  cover  their  faces  before  his  throne,  Isa.  vi.  at  the 
beginning.  Rebecca  (who  in  her  marriage  with  Isaac,  in  almost  all 
its  circumstances,  was  manifestly  a  great  type  of  the  church,  the 
spouse  of  Christ)  when  she  meets  Isaac,  lights  off  from  her  camel, 
and  takes  a  veil  and  covers  herself;  although  she  was  brought  to 
him  as  his  bride,  to  be  with  him  in  the  nearest  relation,  and  most 
intimate  union  that  mankind  are  ever  united  one  to  another  in.f 
Elijah,  that  great  prophet,  who  had  so  much  holy  familiarity  with 

f  Dr  Ani.-s,  in  his  Caics  of  Conscience,  Book  III.  chap.  iv.  speaks  of  a  ho- 
ly modesty  in  the  worship  of  (iod,  as  one  sign  of  true  humiUty. 


-GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  319 

God,  at  a  time  of  special  nearness  to  God,  even  when  he  convers- 
ed with  God  in  the  mount,  wrapped  his  face  in  his  mantle. 
Which  was  not  because  he  was  terrified  with  any  servile  fear, 
by  the  terrible  wind,  and  earthquake,  and  fire;  but  after  these 
were  all  over,  and  God  spake  to  him  as  a  friend,  in  a  still  small 
voice;  1  Kings  xix.  12,  13,  "  And  after  the  fire,  a  still  small 
X'oice;  and  it  was  so  Avhen  Elijah  heard  it,  he  wrapped  his  face 
in  his  mantle."  And  Moses,  with  whom  God  spake  face  to 
face,  as  a  man  speaks  with  his  friend,  and  was  distinguished 
from  all  the  prophets,  in  the  familiarity  with  God  that  he  was 
admitted  to;  at  a  time  when  he  was  brought  nearest  of  all, 
when  God  showed  him  his  glory  in  that  same  mount  where 
he  afterwards  spake  to  Elijah,  "He  made  haste,  and  bowed  his 
head  towards  the  earth,  and  worshipped,"  Exod.  xxxiv.  8.  There 
is  in  some  persons  a  most  unsuitable  and  unsufferable  boldness, 
in  their  addresses  to  the  great  Jehovah,  in  an  affectation  of  a 
holy  boldness,  and  ostentation  of  eminent  nearness  and  familiarity; 
the  very  thoughts  of  which  would  make  them  shrink  into  nothing, 
with  horror  and  confusion,  if  they  saw  the  distance  that  is  be- 
tween God  and  them.  They  are  like  the  pharisee,  that  boldly 
came  up  near,  in  a  confidence  of  his  own  eminency  in  holiness. 
Whereas,  if  they  saw  their  vileness,  they  would  be  more  like  the 
publican,  that  "  stood  afar  ofi*,  and  durst  not  so  much  as  lift  up 
his  eyes  to  heaven;  but  smote  upon  his  breast,  saying,  God  be 
merciful  to  me  a  sinner."  It  becomes  such  sinful  creatures  as  we, 
to  approach  a  holy  God  (although  with  faith,  and  without  terror, 
yet)  with  contrition,  and  penitent  shame  and  confusion  of  face.  It 
is  foretold  that  this  should  be  the  disposition  of  the  church,  in  the 
time  of  her  highest  privileges  on  earth  in  her  latter  day  of  glory, 
when  God  should  remarkably  comfort  her,  by  revealing  his  cove- 
nant mercy  to  her,  Ezek.  xvi.  60,  to  the  end,  "  I  will  establish 
unto  thee  an  everlasting  covenant.  Then  thou  shalt  remember 
thy  ways  and  be  ashamed — And  I  will  establish  my  covenant  with 
thee,  and  thou  shalt  know  that  I  am  the  Lord;  that  thou  mayst 
remember  and  be  confounded  and  never  open  thy  mouth  any  more 
because  of  thy  shame,  when  I  am  pacified  toward  thee  for  all  that 
thou  hast  done,  saith  the  Lord  God."     The  woman  that  we  read 


1 


B^O  NINTH   SIGN  OF 

of  in  the  7th  chapter  of  Luke,  that  was  an  eminent  saint,  and  had 
much  of  that  true  love  which  casts  out  fear,  by  Christ's  own  tes- 
timony, ver.  47,  she  approached  Christ  in  an  amiable  and  ac- 
ceptable manner,  when  she  came  with  that  humble  modesty,  rev- 
erence and  shame,  when  she  stood  at  his  feet,  weeping  behind 
him,  as  not  being  fit  to  appear  before  his  face,  and  washed  his 
feet  with  her  tears. 

One  reason  why  gracious  affections  are  attended  with  this  ten- 
derness of  spirit  which  has  been  spoken  of,  is,  that  true  grace 
tends  to  promote  convictions  of  conscience^  Persons  are  Wont  to 
have  convictions  of  conscience  before  they  have  any  grace:  and 
if  afterwards  they  are  truly  converted,  and  have  true  repentance, 
and  joy,  and  peace  in  believing;  this  has  a  tendency  to  put  an 
end  to  terrors,  but  has  no  tendency  to  put  an  end  to  convictions 
of  sin,  but  to  increase  them.  It  does  not  stupify  a  man's  conscience; 
but  makes  it  more  sensible,  more  easily  and  thoroughly  discerning 
the  sinfulness  of  that  which  is  sinful,  and  receiving  a  greater  con-^ 
viction  of  the  heinous  and  dreadful  nature  of  sin,  susceptive  of  a 
quicker  and  deeper  sense  of  it,  and  more  convinced  of  his  own 
sinfulness,  and  wickedness  of  his  heart;  and  consequently  it  has 
a  tendency  to  make  him  more  jealous  of  his  heart.  Grace  tends 
to  give  the  soul  a  further  and  better  conviction  of  the  same  things 
concerning  sin,  that  it  was  convinced  of,  under  a  legal  work  of 
the  Spirit  of  God;  viz.  its  great  contrariety  to  the  will,  and  law, 
and  honour  of  God,  the  greatness  of  God's  hatred  of  it,  and  dis- 
pleasure against  it,  and  the  dreadful  punishment  it  exposes  to  and 
deserves.  And  not  only  so,  but  it  convinces  the  soul  of  something 
further  concerning  sin,  that  it  saw  nothing  of,  while  only  under 
legal  convictions;  and  that  is  the  infinitely  hateful  nature  of  sin, 
and  its  dreadfulness  upon  that  account.  And  this  makes  the  heart 
tender  with  respect  to  sin;  like  David's  heart,  that  smote  him 
when  he  had  cut  off  Saul's  skirt.  The  heart  of  a  true  penitent 
is  like  a  burnt  child  that  dreads  the  fire.  Whereas,  on  the  con- 
trary, he  that  has  had  a  counterfeit  repentance,  and  false  comforts 
and  joys,  is  like  iron  that  has  been  suddenly  heated  and  quenched; 
it  becomes  much  harder  than  before.     A  false  conversion  puts  an 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  321 

end  to  convictions  of  conscience;  and  so  either  takes  away,  or 
much  diminishes  that  conscientiousness,  which  was  manifested 
under  a  work  of  the  law. 

All  gracious  affections  have  a  tendency  to  promote  this  chris- 
tian tenderness  of  heart,  that  has  been  spoken  of;  not  only  a  godly 
sorrow,  but  also  a  gracious  joy,  Psal.  ii,  11,  "Serve  the  Lord 
with  fear,  and  rejoice  with  trembling."  As  also  a  gracious  hope, 
Psal.  xxxiii.  18,  "Behold  the  eye  of  the  Lord  is  upon  them  that 
fear  him;  upon  them  that  hope  in  his  mercy."  And  Psal.  cxlvii. 
11,  "The  Lord  taketh  pleasure  in  them  that  fear  him,  in  those 
that  hope  in  his  mercy."  Yea,  the  most  confident  and  assured 
hope,  that  is  truly  gracious,  has  this  tendency.  The  higher  a  holy 
hope  is  raised,  the  more  there  is  of  this  christian  tenderness.  The 
banishing  of  a  servile  fear,  by  a  holy  assurance,  is  attended  with 
a  proportionable  increase  of  a  reverential  fear.  The  diminishing 
of  the  fear  of  the  fruits  of  God's  displeasure  in  future  punishment, 
is  attended  with  a  proportionable  increase  of  fear  of  his  displeasure 
itself;  the  diminishing  of  the  fear  of  hell,  with  an  increase  of  the 
fear  of  sin.  The  vanishing  of  jealousies  of  the  person's  state,  is 
attended  with  a  proportional  increase  of  jealousy  of  his  heart,  in 
a  distrust  of  its  strength,  wisdom,  stability,  faithfulness,  &,c.  The 
less  apt  he  is  to  be  afraid  of  natural  evil,  having  his  heart  fixed, 
trusting  in  God,  and  so  not  afraid  of  evil  tidings;  the  more  apt  he 
is  to  be  alarmed  with  the  appearance  of  moral  evil,  or  the  evil  of 
sin.  As  he  has  more  holy  boldness,  so  he  has  less  of  self-confi- 
dence, and  a  forward  assuming  boldness,  and  more  modesty.  As 
he  is  more  sure  than  others  of  deliverance  from  hell,  so  he  has 
more  of  a  sense  of  the  desert  of  it.  He  is  less  apt  than  others  to 
be  shaken  in  faith;  but  more  apt  than  others  to  be  moved  with 
solemn  warnings,  and  with  God's  frowns,  and  with  the  calamities 
of  others.  He  has  the  firmest  comfort,  but  the  softest  heart:  richer 
than  others,  but  poorest  of  all  in  spirit:  the  tallest  and  strongest 
saint,  but  the  least  and  tenderest  child  among  them. 

X.  Another  thing  wherein  those  affections  that  are  truly  gra- 
cious and  holy,  differ  from  those  that  are  false,  is  beautiful  sym- 
metry and  proportion.  "" 


322  TENTH    SIGN    OJT 

Not  that  Ihe  symmetrj'  of  the  virtues,  and  gracious  ali'eciions  of 
the  saints,  in  this  life  is  perfect:  it  oftentimes  is  in  many  things 
defective,  through  the  imperfection  of  grace,  for  want  of  proper 
instructions,  through  errors  in  judgment,  or  some  particular  un- 
happiness  of  natural  temper,  or  defects  in  education,  and  many 
other  disadvantages  that  might  be  mentioned.  But  yet  there  is, 
in  no  wise,  that  monstrous  disproportion  in  gracious  affections,  and 
the  various  parts  of  true  religion  in  the  saints,  that  is  very  com- 
monly to  be  observed,  in  the  false  religion,  and  counterfeit  graces, 
of  hypocrites. 

In  the  truly  holy  affections  of  the  saints  is  found  that  propor- 
tion, which  is  the  natural  consequence  of  the  universality  of  their 
sanctification.  They  have  the  whole  image  of  Christ  upon  them: 
they  have  put  off  the  old  man,  and  have  put  on  the  new  man  en- 
tire in  all  its  parts  and  members.  It  hath  pleased  the  Father  that 
in  Christ  all  fulness  should  dwell;  there  is  in  him  every  grace; 
he  is  full  of  grace  and  truth:  and  they  that  are  Christ's,  do 
"of  his  fulness  receive  grace  for  grace;"  (John  i.  14,  16.)  i.  e. 
there  is  every  grace  in  them,  which  is  in  Christ:  grace  fof  grace; 
that  is,  grace  answerable  to  grace:  there  is  no  grace  in  Christ, 
but  there  is  its  image  in  believers  to  answer  it:  the  image  is  a 
true  image;  and  there  is  something  of  the  same  beautiful  propor- 
tion in  the  image,  which  is  in  the  original;  there  is  feature  for 
feature,  and  member  for  member.  There  is  symmetry  and  beauty 
in  God's  workmanship.  The  natural  body,  which  God  hath  made, 
consists  of  many  members;  and  all  are  in  a  beautiful  proportion: 
so  it  is  in  the  new  man,  consisting  of  various  graces  and  affections. 
The  body  of  one  that  was  born  a  perfect  child,  may  fail  of  exact 
proportion  through  distemper,  and  the  weakness  and  wounds  of 
some  of  its  members;  yet  the  disproportion  is  in  no  measure  like 
that  of  those  that  are  born  monsters. 

It  is  with  hypocrites  as  it  was  with  Ephraim  of  old,  at  a  time 
when  God  greatly  complains  of  their  hypocrisy,  Hos.  vii.  "  Eph- 
raim is  a  cake  not  turned,"  half  roasted  and  half  raw:  there  is 
commonly  no  manner  of  uniformity  in  their  affections. 

There  is  in  many  of  them  a  great  partiality  with  regard  to  the 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  323 

several  kinds  of  religious  affections;  great  affections  in  some 
things,  and  no  manner  of  proportion  in  others.  A  holy  hope  and 
holy  fear  go  together  in  the  saints,  as  has  been  observed  from 
Psal.  xxxiii.  18,  and  chap,  cxlvii.  11.  But  in  some  of  these  is  the 
most  confident  hope,  while  they  are  void  of  reverence,  self-jealousy 
and  caution,  to  a  great  degree  cast  off  fear.  In  the  saints,  joy 
and  holy  fear  go  together,  though  the  joy  be  never  so  great:  as  it 
was  with  the  disciples,  in  that  joyful  morning  of  Christ's  resur- 
rection, Matt,  xxviii.  8,  "And  they  departed  quickly  from  the 
sepulchre,  with  fear  and  great  joy. "f  But  many  of  these  rejoice 
without  trembling:  their  joy  is  of  that  sort,  that  it  is  truly  opposite 
to  godly  fear. 

But  particularly,  one  great  difference  between  saints  and  hypo- 
crites is  this,  that  the  joy  and  comfort  of  tlie  former  is  attended 
with  godly  sorrow  and  mourning  for  sin.  They  have  not  only 
sorrow  to  prepare  them  for  their  first  comfort,  but  after  they  are 
comforted,  and  their  joy  established.  As  it  is  foretold  of  the 
church  of  God,  that  they  should  mourn  and  loathe  themselves  for 
their  sins,  after  they  were  returned  from  the  captivity,  and  were 
settled  in  the  land  of  Canaan,  the  land' of  rest,  and  the  land  that 
flows  with  milk  and  honey,  Ezek.  xx.  42,  43,  "  And  ye  shall 
know  that  I  am  the  Lord,  when  I  shall  bring  you  into  the  land  of 
Israel,  into  the  country  for  the  which  I  lifted  up  mine  hand  to  give 
it  to  your  fathers.  And  there  shall  ye  remember  your  ways,  and 
all  your  doings,  wherein  ye  have  been  defiled,  and  ye  shall  Ipathe 
yourselves  in  your  own  sight,  for  all  your  evils  that  ye  have  com- 
mitted." As  also  in  Ezek.  xvi.  61,  62,  63.  A  true  saint  is  like, 
a  little  child  in  this  respect;  he  never  had  any  godly  sorrow  be- 
fore he  was  born  again;  but  since  has  it  often  in  exercise:  as  a 
little  child,  before  it  is  born,  and  while  it  remains  in  darkness, 
never  cries;  but  as  soon  as  it  sees  the  light,  it  begins  to  cry;  and 
thenceforward  is  often  crying.     Although   Christ  hatli  borne  ouj- 

•{•  "  Renewed  care  and  diligence  follow  tlie  sealings  of  the  Spirit.  Now 
is  the  soul  at  tlie  foot  of  Christ,  as  Mary  was  at  the  sepulclire,  with  fear  and 
great  joy.  He  that  travels  the  road  with  a  ricli  treasure  about  him,  is  afraid 
of  a  thief  in  every  bush."     Flavel's  Siicramcnial  Maliiatiojis,  .Med.  4. 


324  TENTH  SIGN  OF 

griefs,  and  carried  our  sorrows,  so  that  we  are  freed  from  the  sor- 
row of  punishment,  and  may  now  sweetly  feed  upon  the  comforts 
Christ  hath  purchased  for  us;  yet  that  hinders  not  but  that  our 
feeding  on  these  comforts  should  be  attended  with  the  sorrow  of 
repentance.  As  of  old,  the  children  of  Israel  were  commanded, 
evermore  to  feed  upon  the  paschal  lamb,  with  bitter  herbs.t  True 

•j-  If  repentance  accompanies  faith,  it  is  no  presumption  to  believe.  Many 
know  the  sin,  and  hence  believe  in  Christ,  trust  in  Christ,  and  there  is  an 
end  of  their  faith.  But  what  confession  and  sorrow  for  sin?  what  more  love 
to  Christ  follows  this  faith?  Truly  none.  Nay,  their  faith  is  the  cause  why 
they  have  none.  For  they  think,  if  I  trust  in  Christ  to  forgive  me,  he  will 
doit;  and  there  is  an  end  of  the  business.  Verily  this  hedge-faith  and  this 
bramble-faith,  that  catches  hold  on  Christ,  and  pricks  and  scratches  Christ, 
by  more  impenitency,  more  contempt  of  him,  is  mere  presumption;  which 
shall  one  day  be  burnt  up  and  destroyed  by  the  fire  of  God's  jealousy.  Fy 
upon  that  faith,  that  serves  only  to  keep  a  man  from  being  tormented  before 
his  time!  Your  sins  would  be  your  sorrows,  but  that  your  faith  quiets  you. 
But  if  faith  be  accompanied  with  repentance,  mourning  for  sin,  more  esteem 
of  God's  grace  in  Christ;  so  that  nothing  breaks  thy  heart  more  than  the 
thoughts  of  Christ's  unchangeable  love  to  one  so  vile,  and  tiiis  love  makes 
thee  love  much,  and  love  him  the  more;  as  thy  sin  increaseth,  so  thou  de- 
sirest  thy  love's  increase;  and  now  the  stream  of  thy  thoughts  run,  how 
thou  mayst  live  to  him  that  died  for  thee:  this  was  Mary's  faith,  who  sat  at 
Christ's  feet  weeping,  washing  them  with  her  tears,  and  loving  much,  be- 
cause much  was  forgiven."     Shepard's  Sound  -Believer,  p.  128,  129. 

"You  shall  know  godly  sorrow  (says  Dr.  Preston,  in  his  discourse  on  Paul's 
conversion)  by  the  continuance  of  it;  it  is  constant:  but  worldly  sorrow  is 
but  a  passion  of  the  mind;  it  changes,  it  lasts  not.  Though  for  the  present 
It  may  be  violent  and  strong,  and  work  much  outwardly;  yet  it  comes  but 
by  fits  and  continues  not:  like  a  land-flood,  which  violently  for  the  present, 
overflows  the  banks:  but  it  will  away  again;  it  is  not  always  thus.  But  godly 
sorrow  is  like  a  spring,  that  still  keeps  his  running  both  winter  and  summer, 
wet  and  dry,  in  heat  and  cold,  early  and  late.  So  this  godly  sorrow  is  the 
same  in  a  regenerate  man  still:  take  him  when  you  will,  he  is  still  sorrowing 
for  sin.  This  godly  sorrow  stands  like  the  centre  of  the  earth,  which  re- 
moves not,  but  still  remains." 

"  I  am  persuaded,  many  a  man's  heart  is  kept  from  breaking  and  mourn- 
ing, because  of  this.  He  salth  (it  may  be)  that  he  is  a  vile  sinner;  but  I 
trust  in  Christ,  &c.  If  they  do  go  to  Christ  to  destroy  their  sin,  this  makes 
them  more  secure  in  their  sin.  For  (say  they)  I  can  not  help  it,  and  Christ 
must  do  all  Whereas  faith  makes  the  soul  mourn  after  the  Lord  the  more.'" 
Shepard's  Parable  of  the  Ten  Virgins,  Part  II.  p.  168. 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  325 

jviiiils  are  spoken  of  in  scripture,  not  only  as  those  that  have 
mourned  for  sin,  but  as  those  that  do  mourn,  whose  manner  it  is 
still  to  mourn.  Matt.  v.  4,  "  Blessed  are  they  that  mourn;  for  they 
shall  be  comforted." 

Not  only  is  there  often  in  hypocrites  an  essential  deficiency  as 
to  the  various  kinds  of  religious  affections,  but  also  a  strange 
partiality  and  disproportion,  in  the  same  affections,  with  regard  to 
different  objects. 

Thus,  as  to  the  affection  of  love,  some  make  high  pretences, 
and  a  great  show  of  love  to  Go'd  and  Christ,  and  it  may  be,  have 
been  greatly  affected  with  what  they  have  heard  or  thought  con- 
cerning them:  but  they  have  not  a  spirit  of  love  and  benevolence 
towards  men,  but  are  disposed  to  contention,  envy,  revenge,  and 
evil  speaking;  and  will,  it  may  be,  suffer  an  old  grudge  to  rest  in 
their  bosoms  towards  a  neighbour,  for  seven  j'cars  together,  if  not 
twice  seven  years;  living  in  real  ill  will  and  bitterness  of  spirit 
towards  him:  and  it  may  be  in  their  dealings  with  their  neigh- 
bours, are  not  very  strict  and  conscientious  in  observing  the  rule 
of  "  doing  to  others  as  they  would  that  they  should  do  to  them." 
And,  on  the  other  hand,  there  are  others  that  appear  as  if  they 
had  a  great  deal  of  benevolence  to  men,  are  very  good  natured 
and  generous  in  their  way,  but  have  no  love  to  God. 

And  as  to  love  to  men,  there  are  some  that  have  flowing  affections 
to  some;  but  their  love  is  far  from  being  of  so  extensive  and  uni- 
versal a  nature,  as  a  truly  christian  love  is.  Thej  are  full  of  dear 
affections  to  some,  and  full  of  bitterness  tow^ar<]s  others.  They 
are  knit  to  their  own  party,  them  that  approve  of  them,  love  them 
and  admire  them;  but  are  fierce  against  those  that  oppose  and 
dislike  them.  Matt.  v.  45,  46,  "  Be  like  your  Father,  which  is 
in  heaven;  for  he  maketh  his  sun  to  rise  on  the  evil,  and  on  the 
good.  For  if  ye  love  them  which  love  you,  what  reward  have 
ye?  Do  not  even  the  publicans  the  same.''"  Some  show  a  great 
affection  to  their  neighbours,  and  pretend  to  be  ravished  with  the 
iompany  of  the  children  of  God  abroad;  and  at  the  same  time  are 
uncomfortable  and  churlish  towards  their  wives  and  other  near 
relations  at  home,  and  are  very  negligent  of  relative  duties.    And 


326  TENTH  SIGN  Of 

as  to  the  great  love  to  sinners  and  opposers  of  religion,  and  the 
great  concern  for  their  souls,  that  there  is  an  appearance  of  in 
some,  even  to  extreme  distress  and  agony,  singling  out  a  particu- 
lar person,  from  among  a  multitude,  for  its  object,  there  being  at 
the  same  time  no  general  compassion  to  sinners,  that  are  in  equally 
miserable  circumstances,  but  what  is  in  a  monstrous  disproportion; 
this  seems  not  to  be  of  the  nature  of  gracious  affection.  Not  that 
I  suppose  it  to  be  at  all  strange,  that  pity  to  the  perishing  souls  of 
sinners  should  be  to  a  degree  of  agony,  if  other  things  are  answer- 
able: or  that  a  truly  gracious  con-jassion  to  souls  should  be 
exercised  much  more  to  some  persons  than  others  that  are  equally 
miserable,  especially  on  some  particular  occasions:  there  may 
many  things  happen  to  fix  the  mind,  and  affect  the  heart,  with  re- 
spect <o  a  particular  person,  at  such  a  juncture;  and  without  doubt 
some  saints  have  been  in  great  distress  for  the  souls  of  particular 
persons,  so  as  to  be  as  it  were  in  travail  for  them;  but  when  per- 
sons appear,  at  particular  times,  in  racking  agonies  for  the  soul  of 
some  single  person,  far  beyond  what  has  been  usually  heard  or 
read  of  in  eminent  saints,  but  appear  to  be  persons  that  have  a  spirit 
of  meek  and  fervent  love,  charity,  and  compassion  to  mankind  in 
general,  in  a  far  less  degree  than  they:  I  say,  such  agonies  are 
greatly  to  be  suspected,  for  reasons  already  given;  viz.  that  the 
Spirit  of  God  is  wont  to  give  graces  and  gracious  affections  in  a 
beautiful  symmetry  and  proportion. 

And  as  there  is  a  monstrous  disproportion  in  the  love  of  some, 
in  its  exercises  towards  different  persons,  so  there  is  in  their  seem- 
ing exercises  of  love  towards  the  same  persons.  Some  men  show 
a  love  to  others  as  to  their  outward  man,  they  are  liberal  of  their 
worldly  substance,  and  often  give  to  the  poor;  but  have  no  love 
to,  or  concern  for  the  souls  of  men.  Others  pretend  a  great  love 
to  mens  souls,  that  are  not  compassionate  and  charitable  towards 
their  bodies.  The  making  a  great  show  of  love,  pity  and  distress 
for  souls,  costs  them  nothing;  but  in  order  to  show  mercy  to  mens 
bodies,  they  must  port  with  money  out  of  their  pockets.  But  a 
true  christian  love  to  our  brethren  extends  both  to  their  souls  and 
bodies;  and  herein  is  like  the  love  and  compassion  of  Jesus  Christ. 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS,  327 

He  showed  mercy  to  mens  souls,  by  labouring  for  them  in  preach- 
ing the  gospel  to  them;  and  showed  mercy  to  their  bodies,  in  going 
about  doing  good,  healing  all  manner  of  sickness  and  diseases 
among  the  people.  We  have  a  remarkable  instance  of  Christ's 
having  compassion  at  once  both  to  mens  souls  and  bodies,  and 
showing  compassion  by  feeding  both,  in  Mark  vi.  34,  &c.  "  And 
Jesus,  when  he  came  out,  saw  much  people,  and  was  moved  with 
compassion  towards  them,  because  they  were  as  sheep  not  having 
a  shepherd;  and  he  began  to  teach  them  many  things."  Here 
was  his  compassion  to  their  souls.  And  in  the  sequel  we  have 
an  account  of  his  compassion  to  their  bodies,  because  they  had 
been  a  long  while  having  nothing  to  eat;  he  fed  five  thousand  of 
them  with  five  loaves  and  two  fishes.  And  if  the  compassion  of 
professing  Christians  towards  others  does  not  work  in  the  same 
wajs,  it  is  a  sign  that  it  is  no  true  christian  compassion. 

And  furthermore,  it  is  a  sign  that  affections  are  not  of  the  right 
sort,  if  persons  seem  to  be  much  affected  with  the  bad  qualities  of 
their  fellow  Christians,  as  the  coldness  and  lifclessness  of  other 
saints,  but  are  in  no  proportion  affected  with  their  o^vn  defects 
and  corruptions.  A  true  Christian  may  be  affected  with  the  cold- 
ness and  unsavouriness  ol'  other  saints,  and  may  mourn  much  over 
it:  but  at  the  same  time,  he  is  not  so  apt  to  be  affected  with  the 
badness  of  any  body's  heart,  as  his  own;  this  is  most  in  his  view; 
this  he  is  most  quicksighted  to  discern;  this  he  sees  most  of  the 
aggravations  of,  and  is  most  ready  to  lament.  And  a  less  degree 
of  virtue  will  bring  him  to  pity  himself,  and  be  concerned  at  his 
own  calamities,  than  rightly  to  be  affected  with  others'  calamities.' 
And  if  men  have  not  attained  to  the  less,  we  may  determine  they 
never  attained  to  the  greater. 

And  here  by  the  way,  I  would  observe,  that  it  may  be  laid  down 
as  a  general  rule,  that  if  persons  pretend  that  they  come  to  high  at- 
tainments in  religion,  but  have  never  yet  arrived  to  the  less  attain- 
ments, it  is  a  sign  of  a  vain  pretence.  As  if  persons  pretend, 
that  they  have  got  beyond  mere  morality,  to  live  a  spiritual  and 
divine  life;  but  really  have  not  come  to  be  so  much  as  moral  per- 
sons: or  pretend  to  be  greatly  affected  with  the  wickedness  of 


i26  TENTH  bIGN  OF 

their  hearts,  and  are  not  affected  with  the  palpable  violations  of 
God's  commands  in  their  practice,  which  is  a  less  attainment:  or 
if  they  pretend  to  be  brought  to  be  even  willing  to  be  damned  for 
the  glory  of  God,  but  have  no  forwardness  to  suffer  a  little  in  their 
estates  and  names,  and  worldly  convenience,  for  the  sake  of  their 
duty;  or  pretend  that  they  are  not  afraid  to  venture  their  souls 
Upon  Christ,  and  commit  their  all  to  God,  trusting  to  his  bare 
word,  and  the  faithfulness  of  his  promises,  for  their  eternal  wel- 
fare; but  at  the  same  time,  have  not  confidence  enough  in  God, 
to  dare  to  trust  him  with  a  little  of  their  estates,  bestowed  to  pious 
and  charitable  uses;  I  say,  when  it  is  thus  with  persons,  their 
pretences  are  manifestly  vain.  He  that  is  in  a  journey,  and  im- 
feigines  he  has  got  far  beyond  such  a  place  in  his  road,  and  never 
yet  came  to  it,  must  be  mistaken;  and  he  is  not  yet  arrived  to  the 
top  of  the  hillj  that  never  yet  got  hall"  way  hither.  But  this  by 
the  way. 

The  same  that  has  been  observed  of  the  affection  of  love,  is  also 
to  be  observed  of  other  religious  affections.  Those  that  are  true, 
extend  in  some  proportion  to  the  various  things  that  are  their  due 
and  proper  objects;  but  when  they  are  false,  they  are  commonly 
strangely  disproportionate.  So  it  is  with  religious  desires  and 
longings:  these  in  the  saints,  are  to  those  things  that  are  spiritual 
and  excellent  in  general,  and  that  in  some  proportion  to  their  ex- 
cellency, importance  or  necessity,  or  their  near  concern  in  them; 
but  in  false  longings  it  is  often  far  otherwise.  They  will  strangely 
run,  with  an  impatient  vehemence,  after  something  of  less  im- 
portance, when  other  things  of  greater  importance  are  neglected. 
Thus  for  instance,  some  persons,  from  time  to  time,  are  attended 
with  a  vehement  inclination,  and  unaccountably  violent  pressure, 
to  declare  to  others  what  they  experience,  and  to  exhort  others; 
when  there  is,  at  the  same  time,  no  inclination,  in  any  measure 
equal  to  it,  to  other  things,  that  true  Christianity  has  as  great,  yea, 
a  greater  tendency  to;  as  the  pouring  out  the  soul  before  God  in 
secret,  earnest  prayer  and  praise  to  him,  and  more  conformity  to 
him,  and  living  more  to  his  glory,  &c.  We  read  in  scripture  of 
"  groanings  that  «an  not  be  uttered,  and  soul  breakings  for  the 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  329 

longing  it  hath,  and  longings,  thirstings,  and  pantings,"  nnuch 
more  frequently  to  these  latter  things,  than  the  former. 

And  so  as  to  hatred  and  zeal;  when  these  are  from  right  prin- 
ciples, they  are  against  sin  in  general,  in  some  proportion  to  the 
degree  of  sinfulness.  Psalm  cxix.  104,  "  I  hate  every  false 
way."  So  ver,  128.  But  a  false  hatred  and  zeal  against  sin,  is 
against  some  particular  sin  only.  Thus  some  seem  to  be  very 
zealous  against  profaneness,  and  pride  in  apparel,  who  themselves 
are  notorious  for  covetousness,  closeness,  and  it  may  be  backbit- 
ing, envy  towards  superiors,  turbulency  of  spirit  towards  rulers, 
and  ill  will  to  them  that  have  injured  them.  False  zeal  is  against 
the  sins  of  others,  while  men  have  no  zeal  against  their  own  sins. 
But  he  that  has  true  zeal,  exercises  it  chiefly  against  his  own  sins; 
though  he  shows  also  a  proper  zeal  against  prevailing  and  danger- 
ous iniquity  in  others.  And  some  pretend  to  have  a  great  abhor- 
rence of  their  own  sins  of  heart,  and  cry  out  much  of  their  inward 
corruption;  and  yet  make  light  of  sins  in  practice,  and  seem  to 
commit  them  without  much  restraint  or  remorse;  though  these 
imply  sin  both  in  heart  and  life. 

As  there  is  a  much  greater  disproportion  in  the  exercises  6f 
false  affections  than  of  true,  as  to  different  objects,  so  there  is  also 
as  to  different  times.  For  although  true  Christians  are  not  al- 
ways alike;  yea,  there  is  very  great  difference,  at  different  times, 
and  the  best  have  reason  to  be  greatly  ashamed  of  their  unsteadi- 
ness; yet  there  is  in  no  wise  that  instability  and  inconstancy  in 
the  hearts  of  those  that  are  true  virgins,  "  that  follow  the  Lamb 
whithersoever  he  goeth,"  which  is  in  false  hearted  professors. 
The  righteous  man  is  truly  said  to  be  one  whose  heart  is  fixed, 
trusting  in  God,  Psal.  cxii.  7,  and  to  have  his  heart  established 
with  grace,  Heb.  xiii.  9,  and  to  hold  on  his  way.  Job,  xvii.  9, 
"  The  righteous  shall  hold  on  his  way,  and  he  that  hath  clean 
hands  shall  wax  stronger  and  stronger,"  It  is  spoken  of  as  a  note 
of  the  hypocrisy  of  the  Jewish  church,  that  they  were  as  a  swift 
dromedary,  traversing  her  ways. 

If  therefore  persons  are  religious  only  by  fits  and  starts;  if  they 
now  and  then  seem  to  be  raised  up  to  the  clouds  in  their  affec- 


330  TENTH    SIGN   OF 

tions,  and  then  suddenly  fall  down  again,  lose  all,  and  become 
quite  careless  and  carnal,  and  this  is  their  manner  of  carrying  on 
religion;  if  they  appear  greatly  moved,  and  mightily  engaged  in 
religion,  only  in  extraordinary  seasons,  in  the  time  of  a  remarka- 
ble outpouring  of  the  Spirit,  or  other  uncommon  dispensation  of 
providence,  or  upon  the  real  or  supposed  receipt  of  some  great 
mercy,  when  they  have  received  some  extraordinary  temporal 
mercy,  or  suppose  that  they  are  newly  converted,  or  have  late- 
ly had  what  they  call  a  great  discovery;  but  quickly  return  to 
such  a  frame,  that  their  hearts  are  chiefly  upon  other  things,  and 
the  prevailing  bent  of  their  hearts  and  stream  of  their  affections, 
is  ordinarily  towards  the  things  of  this  world;  when  they  are  like 
the  children  of  Israel  in  the  wilderness,  who  had  their  affections 
highly  raised  by  what  God  had  done  for  them  at  the  Red  Sea,  and 
sang  his  praise,  and  soon  fell  a  lusting  after  the  fleshpots  of  Egypt; 
but  then  again  when  they  came  to  Mount  Sinai,  and  saw  the  great 
manifestations  God  made  of  himself  there,  seemed  to  be  greatly  en- 
gaged again,  and  mightily  forward  to  enter  into  covenant  with  God, 
saying  "  All  that  the  Lord  hath  spoken  will  we  do,  and  be  obedient," 
but  then  quickly  made  them  a  golden  calf;  I  say,  when  it  is  thus 
with  persons,  it  is  a  sign  of  the  unsoundness  of  their  affections.! 

f  Dr.  Owen,  (on  the  Spirit,  Book  III.  chap,  ii.sect.  18.)  speaking  of  a  com- 
mon work  of  the  Spirit,  says,  "  This  work  operates  greatly  on  the  affec- 
tions: we  have  given  instances  in  fear,  sorrow,  joy  and  delight,  about  spirit- 
ual things,  that  are  stirred  up  and  acted  thereby:  but  yet  it  comes  short  in 
two  things  of  a  thorough  work  upon  the  affections  themselves.  For,  1st,  it 
doth  not  fix  them.  And,  2dly,  it  doth  not  till  them.  1.  It  is  required  that 
our  affections  be  fixed  on  heavenly  and  spiritual  things;  and  true  grace  will 
effect  it:  Col.  iii.  1,  2,  '  If  ye  be  risen  with  Christ,  seek  those  things  which 
are  above,  where  Christ  sitteth  on  the  right  hand  of  God.  Set  your  affections 
on  things  above.'  The  joys,  fears,  hopes  and  sorrows,  with  reference  unto  spi- 
ritual and  eternal  things,  which  the  work  before  mentioned  doth  produce, 
are  evanid,  uncertain,  unstable,  not  only  as  to  the  degrees,  but  as  to  the  very 
being  of  them.  Sometimes  they  are  as  a  river  ready  to  overflow  its  banks; 
Doen  can  not  but  be  pouring  them  out  on  all  occasions,  and  sometimes  as  wa- 
ters that  fail,  no  drop  comes  from  them.  Sometimes  they  are  hot,  and  some- 
times cold;  sometimes  up  and  sometimes  down;  sometimes  all  heaven,  and 
sometimes  all  world:  without  equality,  without  stability.  But  true  grace 
fixeth  the  affections  on  spiritual  things.    As  to  the  degrees  of  their  exer- 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  331 

They  are  like  the  waters  in  the  time  of  a  shower  of  rain,  which, 
during  the  shower,  and  a  little  after,  run  like  a  brook,  and  flow 
abundantly;  but  are  presently  quite  dry;  and  when  another  shower 
comes,  then  they  flow  again.  Whereas  a  true  saint  is  like  a  stream 
from  a  living  spring;  which,  though  it  may  be  greatly  increased 
by  a-shower  of  rain,  and  diminished  in  time  of  drought,  yet  con- 
stantly runs;  John  iv.  14,  "  The  water  that  I  shall  give  him,  shall 
be  in  him  a  well  of  water  springing  up,"  &c.  or  like  a  tree  plant- 
ed by  such  a  stream,  that  has  a  constant  supply  at  the  root,  and 
is  always  green,  even  in  time  of  the  greatest  drought,  Jer.  xvii.  7, 
8,  "  Blessed  is  the  man  that  trusteth  in  the  Lord,  and  whose  hope 
the  Lord  is.  For  he  shall  be  as  a  tree  planted  by  the  waters,  and 
that  spreadeth  out  her  roots  by  the  river,  and  shall  not  see  when 
heat  Cometh,  but  her  leaf  shall  be  green,  and  shall  not  be  careful 
in  the  year  of  drought,  neither  shall  cease  from  yielding  fruit." 
Many  hypocrites  are  like  comets  that  appear  for  a  while  with  a 
mighty  blaze,  but  are  very  unsteady  and  irregular  in  their  motion, 
(and  are  therefore  called  wandering  stars,  Jude  13,)  and  their 
\  blaze  soon  disappears,  and  they  appear  but  once  in  a  great  while. 

cise,  there  may  be,  and  is  in  them  a  great  varief  j-,  according  as  they  may  be 
excited,  aided,  assisted  by  grace  and  the  means  of  it,  or  obstructed  and  im- 
peded  by  the  interposition  of  temptations  and  diversions.  But  the  constant 
bent  and  inclination  of  renewed  affections,  is  unto  spiritual  things;  as  thft 
scripture  every  where  testifieth,  and  as  experience  doth  confirm." 

♦'  There  is  (says  Dr.  Preston)  a  certain  love,  by  fits,  which  God  accepts 
not;  when  men  come  and  offer  to  God  great  promises,  like  the  waves  of  the 
sea,  as  big  as  mountains:  O,  they  think  they  will  do  much  for  God!  But 
their  minds  change;  and  they  become  as  those  high  waves,  which  at  last  fall 
level  with  the  other  waters.  If  a  man  should  proffer  thee  great  kindnesses, 
and  thou  shouldst  afterwards  come  to  him  to  make  use  of  him,  and  he  should 
look  strangely  upon  thee,  as  if  he  were  never  acquainted  with  thee,  how 
wouldst  thou  esteem  of  such  love?  If  we  are  now  On,  now  off,  in  our  love, 
God  will  not  esteem  of  such  love."     Discourse  on  the  divine  love  of  Christ. 

Mr.  Flavel,  speaking  of  these  changeable  professors,  says,  "  These  pro- 
fessors have  more  of  the  moon  than  of  the  sun;  little  light,  less  heat,  and 
many  changes.  They  deceive  many,  yea,  they  deceive  themselves,  but  can 
not  deceive  God.  They  want  that  ballast  and  estabhshment  in  themselves, 
that  would  have  kept  them  tight  and  steady  "  Touchstone  of  Sincerifv,  chap, 
ii.  sect.  2, 


332  TENTH  SIGN  OP 

But  the  true  saints  are  like  the  fixed  stars,  which,  though  they 
rise  and  set  and  are  often  clouded,  yet  are  steadfast  in  their  orb, 
and  may  truly  be  said  to  shine  with  a  constant  light.  Hypocritical 
affections  are  like  a  violent  motion;  like  that  of  the  air  that  is  moved 
with  winds,  Jude  12;  but  gracious  affections  are  more  a  natural 
motion;  like  the  stream  of  a  river,  which,  though  it  has  many 
turns  hither  and  thither,  and  may  meet  with  obstacles,  and  runs 
more  freely  and  swiftly  in  some  places  than  others;  yet  in  the 
general,  with  a  steady  and  constant  course,  tends  the  same  way, 
until  it  gets  to  the  ocean. 

And  as  there  is  a  strange  unevenness  and  disproportion  in  false 
affections,  at  different  times;  so  there  often  is  in  different  places. 
Some  are  greatly  affected  from  time  to  time,  when  in  company; 
but  have  nothing  that  bears  any  manner  of  proportion  to  it  in  se- 
cret, in  close  meditation,  secret  prayer,  and  conversing  with  God, 
when  alone,  and  separated  from  all  the  world.!  A  true  Christian 
doubtless  delights  in  religious  fellowship,  and  christian  conver- 
sation, and  finds  much  to  affect  his  heart  in  it;  but  he  also  de- 
lights at  times  to  retire  from  all  mankind,  to  converse  with  God 
in  solitary  places.  And  this  also  has  its  peculiar  advantages  for 
fixing  his  heart,  and  engaging  its  affections.     True  religion  dis- 

•f  "  The  Lord  Is  neglected  secretly,  yet  honoured  openly;  because  there 
is  no  wind  in  their  chambers  to  blow  their  sails;  and  therefore  there  they 
stand  still.  Hence  many  men  keep  their  profession,  when  they  lose  their 
affection.  They  have  by  the  one  a  name  to  live  (and  that  is  enough) 
though  their  hearts  be  dead.  And  hence  so  long  as  you  love  and  com- 
mend them,  so  long  they  love  you;  but  if  not,  they  will  forsake  you.  They 
were  warm  only  by  another's  fire,  and  hence,  having  no  principle  of  life 
within,  soon  grow  dead.  This  is  the  water  that  turns  a  pharisee's  mill." 
Shepard's  Parable,  Part  I.  p.  180. 

"  The  hypocrite  (says  Mr.  Flavel)  is  not  for  the  closet,  but  the  syna- 
gogue, Matt.  vi.  5,  6.  It  is  not  his  meat  and  drink  to  retire  from  the  cla- 
mour of  the  world,  to  enjoy  God  in  secret."  Touchstone  of  Sincerity,  chap, 
vii.  sect.  2. 

Dr.  Ames,  in  his  Cases  of  Conscience,  Lib.  IH.  chap.  v.  speaks  of  it  as  a 
thing  by  which  sincerity  may  be  known,  "  that  persons  be  obedient  in  the 
absence,  as  well  as  in  the  presence  of  lookers  on;  in  secret,  as  well,  yea 
more,  than  in  public;"  alledging  Phil.  ii.  12,  and  Matt.  vi.  6. 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  333 

poses  persons  to  be  much  alone  in  solitary  places,  for  holy  medi- 
tation and  prayer.  So  it  wrought  in  Isaac,  Gen,  xxiv.  63.  And 
which  is  much  more,  so  it  wrought  in  Jesus  Christ.  How  often 
do  we  read  of  his  retiring  into  mountains  and  soHtary  places,  for 
holy  converse  with  his  Father?  It  is  difficult  to  conceal  great  af- 
fections, but  yet  gracious  affections  are  of  a  much  more  silent  and 
secret  nature,  than  those  that  are  counterfeit.  So  it  is  with  the 
gracious  sorrow  of  the  saints.  So  it  is  with  their  sorrow  for  their 
own  sins.f  Thus  the  future  gracious  mourning  of  true  penitents, 
at  the  beginning  of  the  latter  day  glory,  is  represented  as  being  so 
secret,  as  to  be  hidden  from  the  companions  of  their  bosom,  Zech. 
xii.  12,  13,  14,  "  And  the  land  shall  mourn,  every  family 
apart,  the  family  of  the  house  of  David  apart,  and  their  wives 
apart:  the  family  of  the  house  of  Nathan  apart,  and  their  wives 
apart:  the  family  of  the  house  of  Levi  apart,  and  their  wives 
apart:  the  family  of  Shimei  apart,  and  their  wives  apart:  all 
the  families  that  remain,  every  family  apart,  and  their  wives 
apart."  So  it  is  with  their  sorrow  for  the  sins  of  others.  The 
saints'  pains  and  travailing  for  the  souls  of  sinners  are  chiefly  in 
secret  places;  Jer.  xiii.  17,  "  If  ye  will  not  hear  it,  my  soul  shall 
weep  in  secret  places  for  your  pride,  and  mine  eye  shall  weep 
sore,  and  run  down  with  tears,  because  the  Lord's  flock  is  car- 
ried away  captive."  So  it  is  with  gracious  joys:  they  are  hid- 
den manna,  in  this  respect,  as  well  as  others,  Rev.  ii.  17. 

The  psalmist  seems  to  speak  of  his  sweetest  comforts,  as  those 
that  were  to  be  had  in  secret;  Psal.  Ixiii.  5,  6,  "  My  soul  shall 
be  satisfied  as  Avith  marrow  and  fatness;  and  my  mouth  shall 
praise  thee  with  joyful  lips:  when  I  remember  thee  upon  my 
bed,  and  meditate  on  thee  in  the  night  watches."  Clirist  calls 
forth  his  spouse  away  from  the  world,  into  retired  places,  thaf  he 
may  give  her  his  sweetest  love;  Cant.  vii.  11,  12,  "  Come,  my 
beloved,  let  us  go  forth  into  the  field;  let  us  lodge  in  the  vil- 

•j-  Mr.  Flavel,  in  reckoning  up  lliose  tilings,  wlierein  the  sorrow  of  saint? 
is  distinguished  from  the  sorrow  of  liypocrites,  about  tlieit-  sins,  sa}  s,  '*  their 
troubles  for  sin  are  more  private  and  silent  troul>!es  tlian  ollit-rs'  are;  their 
sore  runs  in  the  night."     Tuuchsto?ie  of  ,'Smceritv,  chap,  vl,  sect.  5. 
2   T 


334 


TENTH  SIGN  OF 


iages:  there  I  will  give  thee  my  loves."  The  most  eminent  di- 
vine favours  that  the  saints  obtained,  that  we  read  of  in  scrip- 
ture, \vere  in  their  retirement.  The  principal  manifestations 
that  God  made  of  himself,  and  his  covenant  mercy  to  Abraham, 
were  when  he  was  alone,  apart  from  his  numerous  family;  as  any 
one  will  judge  that  carefully  reads  his  history.  Isaac  received  that 
special  gift  of  God  to  him,  Rebekah,  who  was  so  great  a  comfort 
to  him,  and  by  whom  he  obtained  the  promised  seed,  walking 
alone,  meditating  in  the  field.  Jacob  Avas  retired  for  secret 
prayer,  when  Christ  came  to  him,  and  he  wrestled  with  him,  and 
obtained  the  blessing.  God  revealed  himself  to  Moses  in  the 
bush,  when  he  was  in  a  solitary  place  in  the  desert,  in  Mount 
Horeb,  Exod,  iii.  at  the  beginning.  And  afterwards,  when  God 
showed  him  his  glory,  and  he  was  admitted  to  the  highest  de- 
gree of  communion  with  God  that  ever  he  enjoyed;  he  was  alone, 
in  the  same  mountain,  and  continued  there  forty  days  and  forty 
nights,  and  then  came  down  with  his  face  shining.  God  came 
to  those  great  prophets,  Elijah  and  Elisha,  and  conversed  freely 
with  them,  chiefly  in  their  retirement.  Elijah  conversed  alone 
with  God  at  mount  Sinai,  as  Moses  did.  And  when  Jesus  Christ 
had  his  greatest  prelibation  of  his  future  glory,  when  he  w^as 
transfigured;  it  was  not  when  he  was  with  the  multitude,  or  with 
the  twelve  disciples,  but  retired  into  a  solitary  place  in  a  moun- 
tain, with  only  three  select  disciples,  charging  them  that  they 
should  tell  no  man,  until  he  was  risen  from  the  dead.  When  the 
angel  Gabriel  came  to  the  blessed  virgin,  and  when  the  Holy 
Ghost  came  upon  her,  and  the  power  of  the  highest  overshadowed 
her,  she  seems  to  have  been  alone,  and  to  be  in  this  matter  hid 
from  the  world;  her  nearest  and  dearest  earthly  friend,  Joseph, 
that  had  betrothed  her  (though  a  just  man)  knew  nothing  of  the 
matter.  And  she  that  first  partook  of  the  joy  of  Christ's  resur- 
rection, was  alone  with  Clirist  at  the  sepulchre,  John  xx.  And 
when  the  beloved  disciple  was  favoured  with  those  wonderful 
visions  of  Christ  and  his  future  dispensations  towards  the  church 
and  the  world,  he  was  alone  in  the  isle  of  Patmos.  Not  but  that 
we  have  also  instances  of  great  privileges  that  the  saints  haye  r$- 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  o6o 

ceived  when  with  others;  or  that  there  is  not  so  much  in  chris- 
tian  conversation,  and  social  and  public  worship,  tending  greatly 
to  refresh  and  rejoice  the  hearts  of  the  saints.  But  this  is  all  that 
I  aim  at  by  what  has  been  said,  to  show  that  it  is  the  nature  of 
true  grace,  that  however  it  loves  christian  society  in  its  place,  yet 
in  a  peculiar  manner  delights  in  retirement  and  secret  converse 
-with  God.  So  that  if  persons  appear  greatly  engaged  in  social  re- 
ligion, and  but  little  in  the  religion  of  the  closet^  and  are  often 
highly  affected  when  with  others,  and  but  little  moved  when  they 
have  none  but  God  and  Christ  to  converse  w"ith,  it  looks  very  dark- 
ly upon  their  religion. 

XI.  Another  great  and  very  distinguishing  difference  between 
gracious  affections  and  others  is,  that  gracious  affections,  the  high- 
er they  are  raised,  the  more  is  a  spiritual  appetite  and  longing  of 
soul  after  spiritual  attainments  increased.  On  the  contrary,  false 
affections  rest  satisfied  in  themselves. f 

The  more  a  true  saint  loves  God  with  a  gracious  love,  the  more 
he  desires  to  love  him,  and  the  more  uneasy  is  he  at  his  want  of 
love  to  him;  the  more  he  hates  sin,  the  more  he  desires  to  hate 
it,  and  laments  that  he  has  so  much  remaining  love  to  it;  tlie  more 
he  mourns  for  sin,  the  more  he  longs  to  mourn  for  sin;  the  more 
his  heart  is  broke,  the  more  he  desires  it  should  be  broke;  the 
more  he  thirsts  and  longs  after  God  and  holiness,  the  more  he 

f  "  Truly  there  is  no  work  of  Christ  that  is  right  (sa3s  Mr.  Shepard)  but 
it  carries  the  soul  to  long  for  more  of  it."  Parable  of  the  Ten  Viroins,  Part 
I.  p.  136. 

And  again,  "  There  is  in  true  grace  an  infinite  circle:  a  man  by  thirsting 
receives,  and  receiving  thirsts  for  more.  But  hence  the  Spirit  is  not  pour- 
ed out  abundantly  on  churches;  because  men  shut  it  out  by  shutting  in 
and  contenting  themselves  with  their  common  graces  and  gift^;  Matt.  vii.  29. 
Examine  if  it  be  not  so."     Ibid,  p.  182. 

And  in  p.  210,  he  says.  This  I  say:  True  grace,  as  it  comforts,  so  it  never 
fills,  but  puts  an  edge  on  the  appetite:  more  of  that  grace,  Lord!  Thus  Paul, 
Phil.  iii.  13,  14.  Thus  David,  "  Out  of  my  poverty  I  have  given,"  &c  1  Cliron* 
xxix.  3,  17,  18.  It  is  a  sure  way  never  to  be  deceived  in  lighter  strokes  of 
the  Spirit,  to  be  thankful  for  any,  but  to  be  content  with  no  measure  of  it- 
And  this  cuts  the  thread  of  difference  between  a  superficial  lighter  Stroke 
«t'the  Spirit,  afld  that  which  is  sound; 


336  ELEVENTH  SIGN  OF 

longs  to  long,  and  breaihe  out  his  very  soul  in  longings  vSUiv  GoJ^' 
The  kindling  and  raising  of  gracious  affections  is  like  kindling  a 
flame;  the  higher  it  is  raised,  the  more  ardent  it  is;  and  the  more 
it  burns,  the  more  vehemently  does  it  tend  and  seek  to  burn.  So 
that  the  spiritual  appetite  after  holiness,  and  an  increase  of  holy 
affections,  is  much  more  lively  and  keen  in  those  that  are  eminent 
in  holiness,  than  others;  and  more  when  grace  and  holy  affections 
are  in  their  most  lively  exercise,  than  at  other  times.  It  is  as 
much  the  nature  of  one  that  is  spiritually  new-born,  to  thirst  after 
growth  in  holiness,  as  it  is  the  nature  of  a  new-born  babe  to  thirst 
after  the  mother's  breast;  who  has  the  sharpest  appetite  when  best 
in  health,  1  Pet.  ii.  2,  3,  "  As  new-born  babes  desire  the  sincere 
milk  of  the  Avord,  that  ye  may  grow  thereby:  if  so  be  ye  have 
tasted  that  the  Lord  is  gracious."  The  most  that  the  saints  have 
in  this  world,  is  but  a  taste,  a  prelibation  of  that  future  glory 
which  is  iheir  proper  fulness;  it  is  only  an  earnest  of  their  future 
inheritance  in  their  hearts,  2  Cor.  i.  22,  and  v.  5,  and  Eph.  i.  14. 
The  most  eminent  saints  in  this  state  are  but  children,  com- 
pared with  their  future,  which  is  their  proper  state  of  maturity 
and  perfection;  as  the  apostle  observes,  1  Cor.  xiii.  10,  11.  The 
greatest  eminency  that  the  saints  arrive  to  in  this  w^orld,  has  no 
tendency  to  satiety,  or  to  abate  their  desires  after  more;  but  on 
the  contrary  makes  them  more  eager  to  press  foi-wards,  as  is  evi- 
dent by  the  apostle's  words,  Phil.  iii.  13,  14,  15,  "  Forgetting 
those  things  which  are  behind,  and  reaching  forth  unto  those 
things  which  are  before,  I  press  towards  the  mark — Let  us,  there- 
fore, as  many  as  be  perfect,  be  thus  minded." 

The  reasons  of  it  are,  that  the  more  persons  have  of  holy  affec- 
tions, the  more  they  have  of  that  spiritual  taste  which  I  have  spo- 
ken of  elsewhere;  whereby  they  perceive  the  excellency,  and  relish 
the  divine  sweetness  of  holiness.  And  the  more  grace  they  have, 
while  in  this  state  of  imperfection,  the  more  they  see  their  imper- 
fection and  emptiness,  and  distance  from  what  ought  to  be:  and 
so  the  more  do  they  see  their  need  of  grace;  as  I  showed  at  large 
before,  when  speaking  of  the  nature  of  evangelical  humiliation. 
And  besides,  grace  as  long  as  it  is  imperfect,  is  of  a  growing  nature. 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  337 

and  in  a  growing  state.  And  we  see  it  to  be  so  with  all  living 
things;  that  while  they  are  in  a  state  of  imperfection,  and  in  their 
growing  state,  their  nature  seeks  after  growth;  and  so  much  the 
more,  as  they  are  more  healthy  and  prosperous.  Therefore,  the 
cry  of  every  true  grace,  is  like  that  cry  of  true  faith,  Mark  ix.  24? 
"  Lord,  I  believe,  help  thou  my  unbelief."  And  the  gyeater  spi- 
ritual discoveries  and  affections  the  true  Christian  has,  the  more 
does  he  become  an  earnest  beggar  for  grace,  and  spiritual  food, 
that  he  may  grow;  and  the  more  earnestly  does  he  pursue  after  it, 
in  the  use  of  proper  means  and  endeavours;  for  true  and  gracious 
longings  after  holiness  are  no  idle  ineffectual  desires. 

But  here  some  may  object  and  say.  How  is  this  consistent  with 
what  all  allow,  that  spiritual  enjoyments  are  of  a  soul  satisfying 
nature  ? 

I  answer,  its  being  so,  will  appear  to  be  not  at  all  inconsistent 
with  what  has  been  said,  if  it  be  considered  in  what  manner  spi- 
ritual enjoyments  are  said  to  be  of  a  soul  satisfying  nature.  Cer- 
tainly they  are  not  so  in  that  sense,  that  they  are  of  so  cloying  a 
nature,  that  he  who  has  any  thing  of  them,  though  but  in  a  very 
imperfect  degree,  desires  no  more.  But  spiritual  enjoyments  are 
of  a  soul  satisfying  nature  in  the  following  respects.  1.  They  in 
their  kind  and  nature,  are  fully  adapted  to  the  nature,  capacity, 
and  need  of  the  soul  of  man.  So  that  those  who  find  them,  de- 
sire no  other  kind  of  enjoyments;  they  sit  down  fully  contented 
with  that  kind  of  happiness  which  they  have,  desiring  no  change, 
nor  inclining  to  wander  about  any  more,  saying,  "  Who  will  show 
us  any  good?"  The  soul  is  never  cloyed,  never  weary;  but  per- 
petually giving  up  itself,  with  all  its  powers,  to  this  happiness. 
But  not  that  those  who  have  something  of  this  happiness,  desire 
no  more  of  the  same.  2.  They  are  satisfying  also  in  this  respect, 
that  they  answer  the  expectation  of  the  appetite.  When  the  ap- 
petite is  high  to  any  thing,  the  expectation  is  consequently  so.  Ap- 
petite to  a  particular  object,  implies  expectation  in  its  nature. 
This  expectation  is  not  satisfied  by  worldly  enjoyments;  the  man 
expected  to  have  a  great  accession  of  happiness,  but  he  is  disap- 
pointed.    But  it  is  not  so  with  spiritual  enjoyments;  they  fully 


338  ELEVENTH  SIGN  OF 

answer  antl  satisfy  the  expectation.  3.  The  gratification  and 
pleasure  of  spiritual  enjoyments  are  permanent.  It  is  not  so  with 
worldly  enjoyments.  They  in  a  sense  satisfy  particular  appetites: 
but  the  appetite,  in  being  satisfied,  is  glutted,  and  then  the  plea- 
sure is  over:  and  as  soon  as  that  is  over,  the  general  appetite  of 
human  nature  after  happiness  returns;  but  it  is  empty,  and  with- 
out any  thing  to  satisfy  it.  So  that  the  gluttingof  a  particular  ap- 
petite, does  but  take  away  from,  and  leave  empty,  the  general 
thirst  of  nature.  4.  Spiritual  good  is  satisfying,  as  there  is  enough 
in  it  to  satisfy  the  soul,  as  to  degree,  if  obstacles  were  but  removed, 
and  the  enjoying  faculty  duly  applied.  There  is  room  enough 
here  for  the  soul  to  extend  itself;  here  is  an  infinite  ocean  of  it. 
If  men  be  not  satisfied  here,  in  degree  of  happiness,  the  cause  is 
with  themselves;  it  is  because  they  do  not  open  their  mouths  wide- 
enough. 

But  these  things  do  not  argue  that  a  soul  has  no  appetite  ex- 
cited after  more  of  the  same,  that  has  tasted  a  little;  or  that  his 
appetite  will  not  increase,  the  more  he  tastes,  until  he  comes  to 
fulness  of  enjoyment:  as  bodies  that  are  attracted  to  the  globe  of 
the  earth,  tend  to  it  more  strongly,  the  nearer  they  come  to  the 
attracting  body,  and  are  not  at  rest  out  of  the  centre.  Spiritual 
good  is  of  a  satisfying  nature;  and  for  that  very  reason,  the  soul 
that  tastes,  and  knows  its  nature,  will  thirst  after  it,  and  a  fulness 
of  it,  that  it  may  be  satisfied.  And  the  more  he  experiences,  and 
the  more  he  knows  this  excellent,  unparalleled,  exquisite,  and  sat- 
isfying sweetness,  the  more  earnestly  will  he  hunger  and  thirst  for 
more,  until  he  comes  to  perfection.  And  therefore  this  is  the  na- 
ture of  spiritual  affections  that  the  greater  they  be,  the  greater  the 
appetite  and  longing  is,  after  grace  and  holiness. 

But  with  those  joys,  and  other  religious  affections,  that  are  false 
and  counterfeit,  it  is  otherwise.  If  before,  there  was  a  great  de- 
sire, of  some  sort,  after  grace;  as  these  affections  rise,  that  desire 
ceases,  or  is  abated.  It  may  be  before,  while  the  man  was  under 
legal  convictions,  and  much  afraid  of  hell,  he  earnestly  longed 
that  he  might  obtain  spiritual  light  in  his  understanding,  and  faith 
in  Christ,  and  love  to  God:  but  now,  when  tljese  false  affections 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  3£f9 

a^re  risen,  that  deceive  him,  and  make  him  confident  that  he  is 
converted,  and  his  state  good,  there  are  no  more  earnest  longings 
after  hght  and  grace;  for  his  end  is  answered;  he  is  confident  that 
his  sins  are  forgiven  him,  and  that  he  shall  go  to  heaven;  and  so 
he  is  satisfied.  And  especially  when  false  affections  are  raised 
very  high,  they  put  an  end  to  longings  after  grace  and  holiness. 
The  man  now'  is  far  from  appearing  to  himself  a  poor  empty  crea- 
ture; on  the  contrary,  he  is  rich,  and  increased  with  goods,  and 
hardly  conceives  of  any  thing  more  excellent  than  what  he  has  al- 
ready attained  to. 

Hence  there  is  an  end  to  many  persons'  earnestness  in  seeking., 
after  they  have  once  obtained  that  which  they  call  their  conver- 
sion; or  at  least,  after  they  have  had  those  high  affections,  that 
make  them  fully  confident  of  it.  Before,  while  they  looked  upon 
themselves  as  in  a  state  of  nature,  they  were  engaged  in  seeking 
after  God  and  Christ,  and  cried  earnestly  for  grace,  and  strove  in 
the  use  of  means:  but  now  they  act  as  though  they  thought  their 
work  was  done;  they  live  upon  their  first  work,  or  some  high  ex- 
periences that  are  past;  and  there  is  an  end  to  their  crying,  and 
striving  after  God  and  grace. f    Whereas  the  holy  principles  that 

f  It  is  usual  to  see  a  false  heart  most  diligent  in  seeking  the  Lord,  when 
he  has  been  worst,  and  most  careless  wlien  it  is  best.  Hence  many  at  first 
conversion  sought  the  Lord  earnestly;  afterwards  affections  and  endeavours 
die;  that  now  they  are  as  good  as  the  word  can  make  them.  A  iiypocrite's  last 
end  is  to  satisfy  himself:  hence  he  has  enough.  A  saint's  is  to  satisfy  Christ: 
lience  lie  never  has  enough."     Shepard's  Parable,  Part  I,  p.  157. 

"  Many  a  man,  it  may  be,  may  say,  I  have  notiiing  in  myself,  and  all  is  in 
Christ;  and  comfort  himself  there;  and  so  falls  asleep.  Hands  off!  and  touch 
not  this  ark,  lest  the  Lord  slay  thee:  a  Ciirist  of  clouts  would  serve  your  turn 
as  well  »     Ibid,  p,  72. 

"  A  hypocrite's  light  goes  out,  and  grows  not.  Hence  many  ancient  standi- 
ers  take  .ill  their  comfort  from  their  first  work,  and  droop  when  in  old  age." 
Ibid.  p.  77. 

And  p.  93,  94.  Mr.  Shepard,  mentioning  tlie  characters  of  those  that  have 
a  dead  hope,  says,  "Tliey  that  content  themselves  with  any  measure  of 
holiness  and  grace,  they  look  not  for  Christ's  coming  and  company.  Foi* 
saints  that  look  for  him,  thoiigli  they  have  not  that  holiness  and  grace  they 
would  iiave,  yet  they  rest  not  satisfied  with  any  measure;  1  John,  iii.  3, 
'*  He  that  hath  this  hope  purifieth  himself  as  he  is  pure." — The  saints  con- 


340  ELEVENTH  SIGN  OF 

actuate  a  true  saint,  have  a  far  more  powerful  influence  to  stir 
him  up  to  earnestness  in  seeking  God  and  holiness,  than  servile 
fear.  Hence  seeking  God  is  spoken  of  as  one  of  the  distinguish- 
ing characters  of  the  saints;  and  those  that  seek  God  is  one  of  the 
names  by  which  the  godly  are  called  in  scripture,  Psal.  xxiv.  6, 
"  This  is  the  generation  of  them  that  seek  him,  that  seek  thy  face, 
O  Jacob."  Psal.  Ixix.  6,  "  Let  not  those  that  seek  thee,  be  con- 
tent not  themselves  with  any  dressings,  until  made  glorious;  and  so  fit  for 
fellow  ship  with  that  spouse. — When  a  man  leaves  not,  until  he  gets  such  a 
measure  of  faith  and  grace,  and  now  when  he  has  got  this,  contents  himself 
with  this,  as  a  good  sign  that  he  shall  be  saved,  he  looks  not  for  Christ.  Or 
when  men  are  heavily  laden  with  sin;  then  close  with  Christ;  and  then  are 
comforted,  sealed,  and  have  joy  that  fills  them;  and  now  the  work  is  done. 
And  when  men  shall  not  content  themselves  with  any  measure;  but  wish 
they  liad  more,  if  grace  would  grow,  while  they  tell  clocks  and  sit  idle;  and 
so  God  must  do  all;  but  do  not  purge  themselves  and  make  work  of  it." 

Again,  p.  109.  "  There  is  never  a  hypocrite  living,  but  closeth  with  Christ 
for  his  own  ends;  for  he  can  not  work  beyond  his  principle.  Now  when  men 
have  served  their  own  turns  out  of  another  man,  away  they  go,  and  keep 
that  which  they  have,  A  hypocrite  closeth  with  Christ,  as  a  man  with  a 
rich  shop;  he  will  not  be  at  cost  to  buy  all  the  shop,  but  so  much  as  serves 
his  turn.  Commonly,  men  in  horror,  seek  so  much  of  Christ  as  will  ease 
them;  and  hence  profess,  and  hence  seek  for  so  much  of  Christ  as  will  credit 
them;  and  hence  their  desires  after  Christ  are  soon  satisfied.  Appetiiua  Jiiiit 
est  infinltiis. 

*'  Wo  to  thee  that  canst  paint  such  a  Christ  in  thy  head,  and  receive  such 
a  Christ  into  thy  heart,  as  must  be  a  pander  to  your  sloth.  Why  what  can 
we  do.'  what  can  we  do? — Why  as  the  first  Adam  conveys  not  only  guilt,  but 
power;  so  the  second  conveys  both  righteousness  and  strength."  Ji/id.  p 
158. 

"  When  the  Lord  hath  given  some  light  and  affection,  and  some  comfort 
and  some  reformation,  now  a  man  grows  full  here.  Saints  do  for  God;  and 
carnal  hearts  do  something  too;  but  a  little  fills  them  and  quiets  them;  and 
so  damns  them.  And  hence  men  at  the  first  work  upon  them,  are  very  dil- 
igent in  the  use  of  means;  but  after  that,  they  be  brought  to  neglect  prayer, 
sleep  out  sermons,  and  to  be  careless,  sapless,  lifeless."  Ibid.  p.  210. 

"It  is  an  argument  of  want  of  grace,  when  a  man  saith  to  himself,  as  the 
glutton  said  to  his  soul.  Take  thy  rest,  for  thou  hast  goods  laid  up  for  many 
years.  So  thou  hast  repentance  and  grace,  and  peace  enough  for  many  years, 
and  hence  the  soul  takes  its  rest,  grows  sluggish  and  negligent.  Oh!  if  you 
die  in  this  case,  tljis  night  thy  soul  shall  be  taken  away  to  hell."  Ibid.  p.  227' 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTrONS.  341 

founded  for  my  sake,"  ver.  32,  "•  The  humble  shall  see  this  and 
be  glad:  and  your  heart  shall  live  that  seek  God."  And  Ixx.  4, 
"  Let  all  those  that  seek  thee,  rqoice,  and  be  glad  in  thee:  and 
let  such  as  love  thy  salvation  say  continually,  "  The  Lord  be  mag- 
nified." And  the  scriptures  every  where  represent  the  seeking, 
striving,  and  labour  of  a  Christian,  as  being  chiefly  after  his  con- 
version, and  his  conversion  as  being  but  the  beginning  of  his  work. 
And  almost  all  that  is  said  in  the  New  Testament,  of  mens  watch- 
ing, giving  earnest  heed  to  themselves,  running  the  race  that  is 
set  before  them,  striving  and  agonizing,  wrestling  not  with  flesh 
and  blood,  but  principalities  and  powers,  fighting,  putting  on  the 
whole  armour  of  God,  and  standing,  having  done  all  to  stand, 
pressing  forward,  reaching  forth,  continuing  instant  in  prayer,  cry- 
ing to  God  day  and  night;  I  say,  almost  all  that  is  said  in  the  New 
Testament  of  these  things,  is  spoken  of,  and  directed  to  the  saints. 
Where  these  things  are  applied  to  sinners' seeking  conversion  once, 
they  are  spoken  of  the  saints'  prosecution  of  the  great  business  of 
their  high  calling  ten  times.  But  many  in  these  days  have  got 
into  a  strange  antiscriptural  way,  of  having  all  their  striving  and 
wrestling  over,  before  they  are  converted;  and  so  having  an  easy 
lime  of  it  afterwards,  to  sit  down  and  enjoy  their  sloth  and  indo- 
lence; as  those  tliat  now  have  a  supply  of  their  wants,  and  are 
become  rich  and  full.  But  when  the  Lord  "  fills  the  hungry  with 
good  tidings,  these  rich  are  like  to  be  sent  away  empty,"  Luke 
i.  53. 

But  doubtless  there  are  some  hypocrites,  that  have  only  false 
affections,  who  will  think  they  are  able  to  stand  this  trial;  and 
will  readily  say,  that  they  desire  not  to  rest  satisfied  with  past  at- 
tainments, but  to  be  pressing  forward,  they  do  desire  more, 
ihey  long  after  God  and  Christ,  and  desire  more  holiness,  and  do 
seek  it.  But  the  truth  is,  their  desires  are  not  properly  the  de- 
sires of  appetite  after  holiness,  for  its  own  sake,  or  for  the  moral 
excellency  and  holy  sweetness  that  is  in  it;  but  only  for  by  ends. 
They  long  after  clearer  discoveries,  that  they  maybe  better  satisfied 
about  the  state  of  their  souls;  or  because  in  great  discoveries  self 
i?  gratified,  in  being  made  so  much  of  by  God,  and  so  exalte(J 


342  ELEVENTH  SIGN  OF 

above  others;  thev  long  to  taste  the  love  of  God  (as  they  call  it; 
more  than  to  have  more  love  to  God.  Or,  it  may  be,  they  have 
a  kind  of  forced,  fancied,  or  made  longings;  because  they  think 
they  must  long  for  more  grace,  otherwise  it  will  be  a  dark  sign 
upon  them.  But  such  things  as  these  are  far  different  from  the 
^natural,  and  as  it  were  necessary  appetite  and  thirsting  of  the  new 
man,  after  God  and  holiness.  There  is  an  inward  burning  desire 
that  a  saint  has  after  holiness,  as  natural  to  the  new  creature,  as 
vital  heat  is  to  the  body.  There  is  a  holy  breathing  and  panting 
after  the  Spirit  of  God,  to  increase  holiness,  as  natural  to  a  holy 
nature  as  breathing  is  to  a  living  body.  And  holiness  or  sanctifi- 
cation  is  more  directly  the  object  of  it,  than  any  manifestation  of 
God's  love  and  favour.  This  is  the  meat  and  drink  that  is  the 
object  of  the  spiritual  appetite,  John  iv.  34,  "  My  meat  is  to  do 
the  will  of  him  that  sent  me,  and  to  finish  his  work."  Where  we 
read  in  scripture  of  the  desires,  longings,  and  thirstings  of  the  saints, 
righteousness  and  God's  laws  are  much  more  frequently  mention- 
ed, as  the  object  of  them,  than  any  thing  else.  The  saints  de- 
sire the  sincere  milk  of  the  word,  not  so  much  to  testify  God's 
love  to  them,  as  that  they  may  grow  thereby  in  holiness.  I  have 
shown  before,  that  holiness  is  that  good  which  is  the  immediate 
object  of  a  spiritual  taste.  But  undoubtedly  the  same  sweetness 
that  is  the  chief  object  of  a  spiritual  taste,  is  also  the  chief  object 
of  a  spiritual  appetite.  Grace  is  the  godly  man's  treasure,  Isa.  xxxiii. 
6,  "The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  his  treasure."  Godliness  is  the  gain 
that  he  is  covetous  and  greedy  of:  1  Tim.  vi.  6.  Hypocrites  long 
for  discoveries,  more  for  the  present  comfort  of  the  discovery,  and 
the  high  manifestation  of  God's  love  in  it,  than  for  any  sanctifying 
influence  of  it.  But  neither  a  longing  after  great  discoveries,  or 
after  great  tastes  of  the  love  of  God,  nor  longing  to  be  in  heaven, 
nor  longing  to  die,  are  in  any  measure  so  distinguishing  marks  of 
true  saints,  as  longing  after  a  more  holy  heart,  and  living  a  more 
holy  life. 

But  I  am  come  now^  to  the  last  distinguishing  mark  of  holy  af- 
fections that  I  shall  mention. 


GRACIOUS   AFFECTIONS.  S4S 

XII.  Gracious  and  holy  affections  have  their  exercise  and  fruit 
in  christian  practice — I  mean,  they  have  that  influence  and  power 
upon  him  who  is  the  subject  of  them,  that  they  cause  that  a  prac- 
tice, which  is  universally  conformed  to,  and  directed  by  christian 
rules,  should  be  the  practice  and  business  of  his  life. 

This  implies  three  things;  1.  That  his  behaviour  or  practice 
in  the  world,  be  universally  conformed  to,  and  directed  by  chris- 
tian rules.  2.  That  he  makes  a  business  of  such  a  holy  practice 
above  all  things;  that  it  be  a  business  which  he  is  chiefly  en- 
gaged in,  and  devoted  to,  and  pursues  with  highest  earnestness 
and  diligence:  so  that  he  may  be  said  to  make  this  practice  of 
religion  eminently  his  work  and  business.  And  3.  That  he  per- 
sists in  it  to  the  end  of  life:  so  that  it  may  be  said,  not  only  to  be 
his  business  at  certain  seasons,  the  business  of  Sabbath  days,  or 
certain  extraordinary  times,  oi'  the  business  of  a  month,  or  a  year, 
or  of  sev^n  years,  or  his  business  under  certain  circumstances; 
but  the  business  of  his  life;  it  being  that  business  which  he  per- 
severes in  through  all  changes,  and  under  all  trials,  as  long  as  he 
lives. 

The  necessity  of  each  of  these,  in  all  true  Christians,  is  most 
clearly  and  fully  taught  in  the  word  of  God. 

1.  It  is  necessary  that  men  should  be  universally  obedient,! 

I  He  that  pretends  to  gv)dliness,  and  turns  aside  to  crooked  ways,  is  a 
hypocrite:  for  those  thai  are  really  godiy,  do  Hve  in  a  way  of  obedience; 
Psal.  cxix.  I,  2,  3.  "  Blessed  are  the  undefiled  in  the  way,  that  walk  in  the 
law  of  the  Lord.  They  also  do  no  iniquity."  Luke  i.  6,  "They  were  both 
righteous  before  God,  walking  in  all  the  commandments  of  the  Lord,  blame- 
less." But  such  as  live  in  ways  of  sin,  are  dissemblers;  for  all  such  will  be 
rejected  in  the  day  of  judgment;  Matt.  vii.  23,  "  Depart  from  me,  ye  that 
work  iniquity."  The  like  we  have  in  Luke  xiii.  27.  If  men  live  in  a  way 
of  disobedience,  they  do  not  love  God;  for  love  will  make  men  keep  God's 
commandments;  1  John  v.  3,  "  Herein  is  love,  that  we  keep  his  command- 
ments; and  his  commandments  are  not  grievous."  If  men  live  in  a  way  of 
disobedience,  they  have  not  a  spirit  of  faith:  for  faith  sanctifies  men;  Acts 
xxvi.  18,  '•  Sanctified  by  faith  that  is  in  me."  If  men  live  in  a  way  of  diso- 
bedience, they  are  not  Christ's  sheep;  for  his  sheep  hear  his  voice,  John  x_ 
27.  Men  th-.it  live  in  a  way  of  disooedience  are  not  born  of  God;  1  John 
iii-  9.     "  He  that  is  born  of  God,  sinueth  not."     Men  that  live  in  a  way  of 


344  TWELFTH  SIGN    OK 

1  John  iii.  3,  &c.  "  Every  man  that  hath  this  hope  in  him  pu- 
fifieth  himself,  even  as  he  is  pure.  And  ye  know  that  he  was 
manifested  to  take  away  our  sins;  and  in  him  is  no  sin.  Whoso- 
ever abideth  in  him  sinneth  not;  whosoever  sinneth,  hath  not 
seen  him,  neither  known  him.     He  that  doth  righteousness,  is 

disobedience  are  the  servants  of  sin;  John  viii.  34,  "  He  that  committeth 
sin,  is  the  servant  of  sin."  A  course  of  external  sin  is  an  evidence  of  hypo- 
crisy; whether  it  be  of  sin  of  omission  or  comnnission.  If  men  live  in  the 
neglect  of  known  duties,  or  in  the  practice  of  known  evils,  that  will  be 
their  condemnation:  let  the  sin  be  what  it  will;  let  it  be  profaneness,  un- 
cleanness,  lying,  or  injustice.  If  men  allow  themselves  in  malice,  envy, 
wanton  thoughts^  profane  thoughts,  that  will  condemn  them;  though  those 
corruptions  do  not  break  out  in  any  scandalous  way.  These  thoughts  arc 
an  evidence  of  a  rotten  heart;  Tit.  iii.  3,  "  We  ourselves  were  sometimes 
foolish,  disobedient,  deceived,  serving  divers  lusts  and  pleasures,  living  in 
malice  and  envy,  hateful,  and  hating  one  another."  If  a  man  allows  him- 
self, though  he  thinks  he  doth  not,  in  malice  and  envy,  he  is  a  hypocrite: 
though  his  conscience  disallows  it,  yet  if  his  heart  allows  it,  he  is  no  saint. 
Some  make  pretences  to  godliness,  whereby  they  do  not  only  deceive 
others,  (but  which  is  a  great  deal  worse)  deceive  themselves  also:  but  this 
\vill  condemn  them,  that  they  live  in  a  course  of  sin,  and  so  must  go  with 
ungodly  men;  Psal.  cxxv.  5,  "  As  for  such  as  turn  aside  unto  their  crooked 
ways,  the  Lord  will  lead  them  forth  with  the  workers  of  iniquity."  If  there 
be  a  great  change  in  a  man's  carriage,  and  he  be  reformed  in  several  parti- 
culars, yet  if  there  be  one  evil  way,  the  man  is  an  ungodly  man:  where 
there  is  piety  there  is  universal  obedience.  A  man  may  have  great  infir- 
mities, yet  be  a  godly  man.  So  it  was  with  Lot,  David,  and  Peter:  but  if 
he  lives  in  away  of  sin,  he  does  not  render  his  godhness  only  suspicious, 
but  it  is  full  evidence  against  him.  Men  that  are  godly  have  respect  to  all 
tSod's  commandments,  Psal.  cxix.  6.  There  be  a  great  many  commands, 
and  if  there  be  one  of  them  that  a  man  has  not  respect  unto,  he  will  be  put 
to  shame  another  day.  If  a  man  lives  in  one  evil  way,  he  is  not'subject  to 
God's  authority;  but  then  he  lives  in  rebellion:  and  that  will  take  off  all  his 
pleas,  and  at  once  cut  off  all  his  pretences;  and  he  will  be  condemned  in 
the  day  of  judgment.  One  way  of  sin  is  exception  enough  against  the  man's 
salvation.  Though  the  sin  that  he  lives  in  be  but  small:  such  persons  will 
not  be  guilty  of  perjury,  stealing,  drunkenness,  fornication;  they  look  upon 
them  to  be  heinous  things,  and  they  are  afraid  of  them;  but  they  do  not 
much  matter  it,  if  they  oppress  a  little  in  a  bargain,  if  they  commend  a 
thing  too  much  when  they  are  about  to  sell  it,  if  they  break  a  promise,  if 
they  spend  the  Sabbath  unprofitably,  if  they  neglect  secret  prayer,  if  they 
talk  rudely  and  reproach  others;  they  think  these  are  but  small  things;  if 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  346 

lighteous  even  as  he  is  righteous:  he  that  committcth  sin  is  of 
the  devil;"  chap.  v.  18,  "  We  know  that  whosoever  is  born  ol" 
God  sinneth  not,  but  he  that  is  begotten  of  God  keepeth  himself, 
and  that  wicked  one  toucheth  him  not;"  John  xv.  14,  "  Ye  are 
my  friends,  if  ye  do  whatsoever  I  command  you." 

If  one  member  only  be  corrupt,  and  we  do  not  cut  it  off,  it  will 
carry  the  whole  body  to  hell,  Matt.  v.  29,  30.  Saul  was  com- 
manded to  slay  all  God's  enemies,  the  Amalekites;  and  he  slew 
all  but  Agag,  and  the  saving  him  alive  proved  his  ruin.  Caleb 
and  Joshua  entered  into  God's  promised  rest,  because  they  wholly 
followed  the  Lord,  Numb.  xiv.  24,  and  xxxii.  11,  12.  Deut.  i. 
36.  Josh.  xiv.  6,  8,  9,  14.  Naaman's  hypocrisy  appeared  in 
that,  hovv'ever,  he  seemed  to  be  greatly  affected  with  gratitude  to 
God  for  healing  his  leprosy,  and  engaged  to  serve  him,  yet  in  one 
thing  he  desired  to  be  excused.  And  Herod,  though  he  feared 
John,  and  observed  him,  and  heard  him  gladly,  and  did  many 
things;  yet  was  condemned,  in  that  in  one  thing  he  would  not 
hearken  to  him,  even  in  parting  with  his  beloved  Herodias.  So 
that  it  is  necessary  that  men  should  part  with  their  dearest  ini- 
quities, which  are  as  their  right  hand  and  right  eye,  sins  that 
most  easily  beset  them,  and  which  they  are  most  exposed  to  by 
their  natural  inclinations,  evil  customs,  or  particular  circum- 
stances, as  Avell  as  others.     As  Joseph  would  not  make  known 

they  can  keep  clear  of  great  transgression,  they  hope  that  God  will  not  in- 
sist upon  small  things.  But  indeed  all  the  commands  of  God  are  establish- 
ed by  divine  authority:  a  small  shot  may  kill  a  man,  as  well  as  a  cannon 
bullet:  a  small  leak  may  sink  a  ship.  If  a  man  lives  in  small  sins,  that  shows 
he  has  no  love  to  God,  no  sincere  care  to  please  and  honour  God.  Little 
sins  are  of  a  damning  nature,  as  well  as  great:  if  they  do  not  deserve  so 
much  punishment  as  greater,  yet  they  do  deserve  damnation.  There  is  a 
contempt  of  God  in  all  sins;  Matt.  v.  19,  "  He  that  shall  break  one  of  the 
least  of  these  commands,  and  shall  teach  men  so,  shall  be  called  the  least  in 
the  kingdom  of  God;"  Prov.  xix.  16.  "  He  that  keepeth  the  commandment, 
keepeth  his  own  soul;  but  he  that  despiseth  his  way  shall  die."  If  a  man 
says,  this  is  a  great  command,  and  so  lays  weight  on  it,  and  another  is  a  little 
commandment,  and  so  does  not  regard  it,  but  will  allow  himself  to  break  it, 
he  is  in  a  perishing  condition."  Stoddard's  IVaji  to  knoiu  Sincerity  and  ff-y- 
pocrisy. 


o4b"  TWELFTH  hIGN   OF 

himself  to  his  brethren  who  had  sold  him,  until  Benjamin  the  be- 
loved child  of  the  family,  that  was  most  hardly  parted  with,  was 
delivered  up;  no  more  will  Christ  reveal  his  love  to  us,  until  we 
part  with  our  dearest  lusts,  and  until  we  are  brought  to  comply 
with  the  most  difficult  duties,  and  those  that  we  have  the  greatest 
aversion  to. 

And  it  is  of  importance  that  it  should  be  observed,  that  in  or- 
der to  a  man's  being  truly  said  to  be  universally  obedient,  his 
obedience  must  not  only  consist  in  negatives,  or  in  universally 
avoiding  wicked  practices,  consisting  in  sins  of  commission,  but 
he  must  also  be  universal  in  the  positives  of  religion.  Sins  of 
omission  are  as  much  breaches  of  God's  commands,  as  sins  of 
commission.  Christ,  in  Matt.  xxv.  represents  those  on  the  left 
hand  as  being  condemned  and  cursed  to  everlasting  fire  for  sins 
of  omission.  "  I  was  an  hungered,  and  ye  gave  me  no  meat," 
&c.  A  man,  therefore,  cannot  be  said  to  be  universally  obedi- 
ent, and  of  a  christian  conversation,  only  because  he  is  no  thief, 
nor  oppressor,  nor  fraudulent  person,  nor  drunkard,  nor  tavern- 
haunter,  nor  whoremaster,  nor  rioter,  nor  night-walker,  nor  un- 
clean, nor  profane  in  his  language,  nor  slanderer,  nor  liar,  nor 
furious,  nor  malicious,  nor  reviler.  He  is  falsely  said  to  be  of  a 
conversation  that  becomes  the  gospel,  who  goes  thus  far  and  no 
farther;  but  in  order  to  this,  it  is  necessary  that  he  should  also 
be  of  a  serious,  religious,  devout,  humble,  meek,  forgiving,  peace- 
ful, respectful,  condescending,  benevolent,  merciful,  charitable 
and  beneficent  xvalk  and  conversation.  Without  such  things  as 
these,  he  does  not  obey  the  laws  of  Christ,  and  laws  that  he  and 
his  apostles  did  abundantly  insist  on,  as  of  the  greatest  impor- 
tance and  necessity. 

2.  In  order  to  mens  being  true  Christians,  it  is  necessary  that 
they  prosecute  the  business  of  religion,  and  the  service  of  God 
with  great  earnestness  and  diligence,  as  the  work  which  they  de- 
vote themselves  to,  and  make  the  main  business  of  their  lives. 
All  Christ's  peculiar  people  not  only  do  good  works,  but  are  zeal- 
ous of  good  works,  Tit.  ii.  14.  No  man  can  do  the  work  of  two 
masters  at  once.     They  that  are  God's  true  servants  do  give  up 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  347 

themselves  to  his  service,  and  make  it  as  it  were  their  whole  work, 
therein  employing  their  whole  hearts,  and  the  chief  of  their 
strength,  Phil.  ili.  13,  "  This  one  thing  I  do."  Christians  in  their 
effectual  calling,  are  not  called  to  idleness,  but  to  labour  in  God's 
vineyard,  and  spend  their  day  in  doing  a  great  and  laborious  ser- 
vice. All  true  Christians  comply  with  this  call,  (as  is  implied  in 
its  being  an  effectual  call)  and  do  the  work  of  Christians;  which 
is  every  where  in  the  New  Testament  compared  to  those  exer- 
cises wherein  men  are  wont  to  exert  their  strength  with  the  great- 
est earnestness,  as  running,  wrestling,  fighting.  All  true  Chris- 
tians are  good  and  faithful  soldiers  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  "  fight 
the  good  fight  of  faith;"  for  none  but  those  who  do  so,  do  "  ever 
lay  hold  on  eternal  life."  Those  who  "  fight  as  those  that  beat  the 
air,"  never  win  the  crown  of  victory.  "  They  that  run  in  a  race, 
run  all,  but  one  wins  the  prize,"  and  they  that  are  slack  and  neg- 
ligent in  their  course,  do  not  so  run  as  that  they  may  obtain."  The 
kingdom  of  heaven  is  not  to  be  taken  but  by  violence.  Without  ear- 
nestness there  is  no  getting  along  in  that  narrow  way  that  leads 
to  life;  and  so  no  arriving  at  that  state  of  glorious  life  and  happi- 
ness which  it  leads  to.  Without  earnest  labour  there  is  no  as- 
cending the  steep  and  high  hill  of  Zion,  and  so  no  arriving  at  the 
heavenly  city  on  the  top  of  it.  Without  a  constant  laboriousness 
there  is  no  stemming  the  swift  stream  in  which  we  swim,  so  as 
ever  to  come  to  that  fountain  of  water  of  life  that  is  at  the  head 
of  it.  There  is  need  that  we  should  "  watch  and  pray  always,  in 
order  to  our  escaping  those  dreadful  things  that  are  coming  on  the 
ungodly,  and  our  being  counted  worthy  to  stand  before  the  Son 
of  man."  There  is  need  of  our  "  putting  on  the  whole  armour 
of  God,  and  doing  all,  to  stand,"  in  order  to  our  avoiding  a  total 
overthrow,  and  being  utterly  destroyed  by  the  fiery  "  darts  of  the 
devil."  There  is  need  that  we  should  "  forget  the  things  that 
are  behind,  and  be  reaching  forth  to  the  things  that  are  before, 
and  pressing  towards  the  mark,  for  the  prize  of  the  high  calling  of 
God  in  Jesus  Christ  our  Lord,"  in  order  to  our  obtaining  that 
prize.  Slothfulness  in  the  service  of  God  in  his  professed  ser- 
vaiiits,  is  as  damning  as  open  rebellion;  for  the  slothful  servant  is 


348  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

a  wicked  servant,  and  shall  be  cast  into  outer  darkness,  among 
God's  open  enemies,  Matt.  xxv.  26,  30.  They  that  are  sloth- 
ful are  not  "  followers  of  them  who  through  faith  and  patience 
inherit  the  promises;"  Heb.  vi.  11,  12,  "  And  we  desire  that  every 
one  of  you  do  show  the  same  diligence,  to  the  full  assurance  of 
hope  unto  the  end;  that  ye  be  not  slothful,  but  followers  of  them 
who  through  faith  and  patience  inherit  the  promises."  And  all 
they  who  follow  that  cloud  of  witnesses  that  are  gone  before  to 
heaven;  "  do  lay  aside  every  weight,  and  the  sin  that  easily  be- 
sets them,  and  do  run  with  patience  the  race  that  is  set  before 
them,"  Heb.  xii.  1.  That  true  faith,  by  which  persons  rely  on 
the  righteousness  of  Christ,  and  the  work  that  he  hath  done  for 
them,  and  do  truly  feed  and  live  upon  him,  is  evermore  accompa- 
nied with  such  a  spirit  of  earnestness  in  the  christian  work  and 
course.  Which  was  typified  of  old,  by  the  manner  of  the  chil- 
dren of  Israel's  feeding  on  the  paschal  Iamb;  who  were  directed  to 
eat  it,  as  those  that  were  in  haste,  with  their  loins  girded,  their 
shoes  on  their  feet,  and  their  staff  in  their  hand,  Exod.  xii.  11. 

3.  Every  true  Christian  perseveres  in  this  way  of  universal  obe- 
dience, and  diligent  and  earnest  service  of  God,  through  all  the 
various  kinds  of  trials  that  he  meets  with,  to  the  end  of  life.  That 
all  true  saints,  all  those  that  do  obtain  eternal  life,  do  thus  per- 
severe in  the  practice  of  religion,  and  the  service  of  God,  is  a  doc- 
trine so  abundantly  taught  in  the  scripture,  that  particularly  to  re- 
hearse all  the  texts  which  imply  it  would  be  endless,  1  shall  con- 
tent myself  with  refering  to  some  in  the  margin.f 

But  that  in  perseverance  in  obedience,  which  is  chiefly  insisted 
on  in  the  scripture,  as  a  special  note  of  the  truth  of  grace,  is  the 
continuance  of  professors  in  the  practice  of  their  duty,  and  being 

f  Deut.  V.  29,  Deut.  xxxii.  18, 19,  20.  1  Chron.  xxviii.  9.  Psal.  Ixxviii,  7,  8, 
10, 11,  35, 36,  37,  41, 42,  56,  &c  Psal.  cvi.  3,  12—15.  Psal  cxxv.  4,  5.  Prov. 
xxvi.  11.  Isa,  Ixiv,  5.  Jer,  xvii.  13.  Ezek.  iii.  20,  and  xviii.  24,  and  xxxiii.  12, 
13.  Matt.  X.  22,  and  xiii.  4 — 8,  with  verses  19 — 23,  and  xxv.  8,  and  xxiv.  12, 
13.  Luke  ix.  62,  and  xii,  35,  &c.  and  xxii.  28,  and  xvii.  32.  John  viii.  '2)0, 31, 
and  XV,  6,  7,  8,  10,  16.  Rom.  ii.  7,  and  xi.  22.  Col.  i.  22, 23,  Heb.  iii.  6, 12,  14, 
and  vi.  11,  12,  and  x.  35,  &c.  James  i.  25.  Rev.  ii.  13,  26,  and  ii.  10.  1  Tim^ 
Ji.  15.  2  Tim.  iv.  4—8. 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  349 

Steadfast  in  a  holy  walk,  through  the  Various  trials  that  they  meet 
with. 

By  trials  here,  I  mean  those  things  that  occur,  and  that  a  pro- 
fessor meets  with  in  his  course,  that  do  especially  render  his  con- 
tinuance in  his  duty,  and  faithfulness  to  God,  difficult  to  nature. 
These  things  are  from  time  to  time  called  in  scripture  by  the  name 
of  trials,  or  temptations,  (which  are  words  of  the  same  significa- 
tion.) These  are  of  various  kinds:  there  are  many  things  that 
render  persons'  continuance  in  the  way  of  their  duty  difficult,  by 
their  tendency  to  cherish  and  foment,  or  to  stir  up  and  provoke 
their  lusts  and  corruptions.  Many  things  make  it  hard  to  continue 
in  the  way  of  their  duty,  by  their  being  of  an  alluring  nature,  and 
having  a  tendency  to  entice  persons  to  sin,  or  by  their  tendency 
to  take  off  restraints,  and  embolden  them  in  iniquity.  Other  things 
are  trials  of  the  soundness  and  steadfastness  of  professors,  by  their 
tendency  to  make  their  duty  appear  terrible  to  them,  and  so  to 
affright  and  drive  them  from  it;  such  as  the  sufferings  which  their 
duty  will  expose  them  to;  pain,  ill  will,  contempt,  and  reproach, 
or  loss  of  outward  possessions  and  comforts.  If  persons,  after  they 
have  made  a  profession  of  religion,  live  any  considerable  time  in 
this  world,  which  is  so  full  of  changes,  and  so  full  of  evil,  it  can 
not  be  otherwise  than  that  they  should  meet  with  many  trials  of 
their  sincerity  and  steadfastness.  And  besides,  it  is  God's  manner, 
in  his  providence,  to  bring  trials  on  his  professing  friends  and  ser- 
vants designedly,  that  he  may  manifest  them,  and  may  exhibit 
sufficient  matter  of  conviction  of  the  state  which  they  are  in,  to 
their  own  consciences,  and  oftentimes  to  the  world;  as  appears  by 
innumerable  scriptures. 

True  saints  may  be  guilty  of  some  kinds  and  degrees  of  back- 
sliding, and  may  be  foiled  by  particular  temptations,  and  may  fall 
1  into  sin,  yea  great  sins;  but  they  can  never  fall  away  so  as  to  grow 
weary  of  religion,  and  the  service  of  God,  and  habitually  to  dis- 
like it  and  neglect  it,  either  on  its  own  account,  or  on  account  of 
the  difficulties  that  attend  it;  as  is  evident  by  Gal.  vi.  9,  Rom. 
ii.  7,  Ileb.  X.  3G,  Isa.  xliii.  22,  Mai.  i.  13.  The>  can  never 
backslide,  so  as  to  continue  no  longer  m  a  way  of  universal  obe- 
2  X 


3oO  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

(lience;  or,  so  that  It  shaU  cease  to  be  their  manner  to  observe  all 
the  rules  of  Christianity,  and  do  all  duties  required,  even  in  the 
most  difficult  circumstances.!  This  is  abundantly  manifest  by  the 
things  that  have  been  observed  already.  Nor  can  they  ever  fall 
away  so  as  habitually  to  be  more  engaged  in  other  things  than  in 
the  business  of  religion;  or  so  that  it  should  become  their  way  and 
manner  to  serve  something  else  more  than  God;  or  so  as  statedly 
to  cease  to  serve  God,  with  such  earnestness  and  diligence,  as  still 
to  be  habitually  devoted  and  given  up  to  the  business  of  religion; 
unless  those  words  of  Christ  can  fall  to  the  ground,  "  Ye  can  not 
serve  two  masters,"  and  those  of  the  apostle,  "  He  that  will  be  a 

■j-  "  One  way  of  sin  is  exception  enough  against  mens  salvation,  though 
their  temptations  be  great.  Some  persons  delight  in  iniquity;  they  take 
pleasure  in  rudeness,  and  intemperate  practices;  but  there  be  others,  that 
do  not  delight  in  sin;  when  they  can  handsomely  avoid  it,  they  do  not  choose 
it;  except  they  be  under  some  great  necessity,  they  will  not  do  it.  They 
are  afraid  to  sin;  they  think  it  is  dangerous,  and  have  some  care  to  avoid  it: 
but  sometimes  they  force  themselves  to  sin:  they  are  reduced  to  difficulties, 
and  can  not  tell  how  well  to  avoid  it;  it  is  a  dangerous  thing  not  to  do  it.  If 
Naaman  do  not  bow  himself  in  the  house  ofRimmon,  the  king  will  be  in  a 
rage  with  him,  take  away  his  office,  it  may  be  take  away  his  life,  and  so  he 
complies;  2  Kings  v.  18. — So  Jeroboam  forced  himself  to  set  up  the  calves 
at  Dan  and  Bethel:  he  thought  that  if  the  people  went  up  to  Jerusalem  to 
worship,  they  would  return  to  Rehoboam,  and  kill  him;  therefore  he  must 
think  of  some  expedient  to  deliver  himself  in  this  strait;  1  Kings  xii.  37,  28. 
He  was  driven  by  appearing  necessity  to  take  this  wicked  course. — So  the 
stony-ground  hearers  were  willing  to  retain  the  profession  of  the  true  re- 
ligion: but  the  case  was  such,  that  they  thought  they  could  not  well  do  it; 
Matt.  xiii.  21.  "  When  tribulation  or  persecution  ariseih  because  of  thefword, 
by  and  by  he  is  offended." — So  Achan  and  Gehzai  had  singular  opportuni- 
ties to  get  an  estate;  if  they  live  twenty  years  they  are  not  like  to  have  such 
an  advantage:  and  they  force  themselves  to  borrow  a  point,  and  break  tlie 
law  of  God.  They  lay  a  necessity  on  estate,  and  liberty,  and  life,  but  not 
upon  obedience.  If  a  man  be  willing  to  serve  God  in  ordinary  cases,  but 
excuse  himself  when  there  be  great  difficulties,  he  is  not  godly.  It  is  a  small 
matter  to  serve  God  when  men  have  no  temptation:  but  Lot  was  holy  in 
Sodom;  Noah  was  righteous  in  the  old  world.  Temptations  try  men,  but  they 
do  not  force  men  to  sin:  and  grace  will  estabhsh  the  heart  in  a  day  of  temp- 
tation." They  are  blessed  that  do  endure  temptation,  James  i.  12.  but  they 
are  cursed  that  fall  away  in  a  day  of  temptation.  Stoddard's  Way  to  Kno'iD 
Sincerity  and  Hypoaisi'. 


h 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTI0NS.  35  I 

friend  of  the.  world,  is  the  enemy  of  God;"  and  unless  a  saint  can 
change  his  God,  and  yet  be  a  true  saint.  Nor  can  a  true  saint 
ever  fall  away  so,  that  it  shall  come  to  this,  that  ordinarily  there 
shall  be  no  remarkable  difference  in  his  walk  and  behaviour  since 
his  conversion,  from  what  was  before.  They  that  are  truly  con- 
verted are  new  men,  new  creatures;  new,  not  only  within,  but 
without;  they  are  sanctified  throughout;  in  spirit,  soul  and  body; 
old  things  are  passed  away,  all  things  are  become  new;  they  have 
new  hearts,  and  new  eyes,  new  ears,  new  tongues,  new  hands, 
new  feet;  i.  e.  a  new  conversation  and  practice;  and  they  walk 
in  newness  of  life,  and  continue  to  do  so  to  the  end  of  life.  And 
they  that  fall  away,  and  cease  visibly  to  do  so,  it  is  a  sign  they 
I  never  were  risen  with  Christ. f  And  especially  when  mens  opin* 
'  ion  of  their  being  converted,  and  so  in  a  safe  estate,  is  the  very 
cause  of  their  coming  to  this,  it  is  a  most  evident  sign  of  their 
hypocrisy.|     And  that,  whether  their  falling  away  be  into  their 

f  Hence  we  learn  what  verdict  to  pass  ami  give  in,  concerning'  those  men 
that  decay  and  fall  off  from  the  Lord.  They  never  had  oil  in  the  vessel; 
never  had  a  dram  of  grace  in  their  heart.  Thus  1  John  ii.  19,  "  Iftiiey  had 
been  of  us,  they  would  no  doubt  have  continued  with  us."  It  seems  they 
v«re  such  men,  who  were  so  eminent  and  excellent,  as  that  there  wore  no 
brands  nor  marks  upon  them,  to  give  notice  to  the  churches,  that  they  were 
marked  out  for  apostacy;  but  were  only  discovered  to  be  unsound,  by  their 
apostacy;  and  this  was  argument  good  enough."  S/iepard^s  Parable,  Part  I. 
p.  226. 

\  "  When  a  man's  rising  is  the  cause  of  his  fldl,  or  seals  a  man  up  in  his 
fall,  or  at  least  the  cause  tlirough  his  corruption.  Ex.  Gr.  Time  was  a  man 
lived  a  loose,  careless,  carnal  life:  by  the  ministry  of  some  word,  or  reading 
of  some  book,  or  speaking  with  some  friend,  he  comes  to  be  convinced  of 
his  misery  and  woful  condition,  and  sees  no  good  nor  grace  in  himself;  he 
hath  even  been  hitherto  deceived;  at  last  he  comes  to  get  some  light, 
some  taste,  some  sorrows,  some  heart  to  use  the  means,  some  comfort  and 
mercy,  and  hope  of  life:  and  when  it  is  thus  with  him,  now  he  falls;  he  grows 
full  and  fulls;  and  this  rising  is  the  cause  of  his  fall;  his  light  is  darkness  and 
death  to  him;  and  grows  to  a  form  of  knowledge;  his  rising  makes  him  fall 
to  formality,  and  then  to  profaneness;  and  so  his  tasting  satisfies  him;  his 
sorrows  empty  his  heart  of  sorrow  for  sin;  and  his  sorrow  for  his  falls  hardens 
his  heart  in  liis  falls,  and  all  the  means  of  recovering  him  harden  him.  Look 
as  it  is  in  diseases;   if  the  physic  and  meat  turn,  to  be  poison,  tlien  there  is 


3o2  TWELFTH  SIGN  Of 

former  sins,  or  into  some  new  kind  of  wickedness,  having  tiie  cor- 
ruption of  nature  only  turned  into  a  new  channel,  instead  of  its  be- 
ing mortified.  As  when  persons  that  think  themselves  converted, 
though  they  do  not  return  to  former  profaneness  and  lewdness, 
yet  from  the  high  opinion  they  have  of  their  experiences,  graces, 
and  privileges,  gradually  settle  more  and  more  in  a  self-righteous 
and  spiritually  proud  temper  of  mind,  and  in  such  a  manner  of 
behaviour  as  naturally  arises  therefrom.  When  it  is  thus  with 
men,  however  far  they  may  seem  to  be  from  their  former  evil 
practices,  this  alone  is  enough  to  condemn  them,  and  may  render 
their  last  state  far  worse  than  the  first.  For  this  seems  to  be  the 
very  case  of  the  Jews  of  that  generation  that  Christ  speaks  of, 
!Matt.  xii.  43,  44,  45,  who  being  awakened  by  John  the  Baptist's 
preaching,  and  brought  to  a  reformation  of  their  former  licentious 
courses,  whereby  the  unclean  spirit  ivas  as  it  were  turned  out, 
and  the  house  swept  and  garnished;  yet,  being  empty  of  God  and 
of  grace,  became  full  of  themselves,  and  were  exalted  in  an  ex- 
ceeding high  opinion  of  their  own  righteousness  and  eminent  holi- 
ness, and  became  habituated  to  an  answerably  self-exalting  be- 
haviour; so  changing  the  sins  of  publicans  and  harlots,  for  those 
of  the  pharisees;  and  in  issue,  had  seven  devils,  worse  than  the  first. 

Thus  I  have  explained  what  exercise  and  fruit  I  mean,  when  I 
say,  that  gracious  aiFections  have  their  exercise  and  fruit  in  chris- 
tian practice. 

The  reason  why  gracious  affections  have  such  a  tendency  and 
effect,  appears  from  many  things  that  have  already  been  observed, 
in  the  preceding  parts  of  this  discourse. 

The  reason  of  it  appears  from  this,  that  gracious  affections  do 
arise  from  those  operations  and  influences  which  are  spiritual, 
and  that  the  inward  principle  from  ivhence  they  flo^v,  is  something 
divine,  a  communication  of  God,  a  participation  of  the  divine  na- 
ture, Christ  living  in  the  heart,  the  Holy  Spirit  dwelling  there,  in 
union  with  the  faculties  of  the  soul,  as  an  internal  vital  principle, 

no  hope  of  a  recovery;  a  man  is  sick  to  death  now.     The  saint's  little  mea- 
sure  makes  him  forget  what  is  behind."     Hhefiavcrs  Parable,  Part  I.  p.  226. 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  SoJ 

exerting  his  own  proper  nature,  in  the  exercise  of  those  faculties. 
This  is  sufficient  to  show  us  why  true  grace  should  have  such  ac- 
tivity, power,  and  efficacy.  No  wonder  that  which  is  divine,  is 
powerful  and  effectual;  for  it  has  omnipotence  on  its  side  If  God 
dwells  in  the  heart,  and  be  vitally  united  to  it,  he  will  show  that 
he  is  a  God,  by  the  efficacy  of  his  operation.  Christ  is  not  in  the 
heart  of  a  saint,  as  in  a  sepulchre,  or  as  a  dead  saviour,  that  does 
nothing;  but  as  in  his  temple^  and  as  one  that  is  alive  from  the 
dead.  For  in  the  heart  where  Christ  savingly  is,  there  he  lives, 
and  exerts  himself  after  the  power  of  that  endless  life  that  he  re- 
ceived at  his  resurrection.  Thus  every  saint  that  is  a  subject  of 
the  benefit  of  Christ's  sufferings,  is  made  to  know  and  experience 
the  power  of  his  resurrection.  The  Spirit  of  Christ,  which  is  the 
immediate  spring  of  grace  in  the  heart,  is  all  life,  all  power,  all 
act,  2  Cor.  ii.  4,  "In  demonstration  of  the  Spirit,  and  of  power." 
1  Thess.  i.  5,  "  Our  gospel  came  not  unto  you  in  word  only, 
but  also  in  power,  and  in  the  Holy  Ghost."  1  Cor.  iv.  20,  "The 
kingdom  of  God  is  not  in  the  word,  but  in  power."  Hence  saving 
affections,  though  oftentimes  they  do  not  make  so  great  a  noise 

;  and  shoAv  as  others,  yet  have  in  them  a  secret  solidity,  life,  and 
i-  strength,  whereby  they  take  hold  of,  and  carry  away  the  heart, 
leading  it  into  a  kind  of  captivity,  2  Cor.  x.  S,  gaining  a  full  and 
steadfast  determination  of  the  will  for  God  and  holiness,  Psal.  ex. 
3,  "Thy  people  shall  be  willing  in  the  day  of  thy  power," 
And  thus  it  is  that  holy  affections  have  a  governing  power  in  the 
course  of  a  man's  life.  A  statue  may  look  very  much  like  a  real 
man,  and  a  beautiful  man;  yea,  it  may  have,  in  its  appearance  to 
the  eye,  the  resemblance  of  a  very  lively,  strong,  and  active  man; 
but  yet  an  inward  principle  of  life  and  strength  is  wanting;  and 
therefore  it  does  nothing,  it  brings  nothing  to  pass,  there  is  no  ac- 
tion or  operation  to  answer  the  show.  False  discoveries  and  af- 
fections do  not  go  deep  enough  to  reach  and  govern  the  spring  of 
mens  actions  and  practice.  The  seed  in  stony  ground  had  not 
deepness  of  earth,  and  the  root  did  not  go  deep  enough  to  bring 

/  forth  fruit.     But  gracious  affections  go  to  the  very  bottom  of  the 
heart,  and  take  hold  of  the  very  inmost  springs  of  life  and  activity. 


Sbi  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

Herein  chiefly  appears  the  power  of  true  godliftess,  viz.  in  its  he- 
1  ing  effectual  in  practice.  And  the  efficacy  of  godliness  in  this  re- 
spect, is  what  the  apostle  has  respect  to,  when  he  speaks  of  the 
power  of  godliness,  2  Tim.  iii.  5,  as  is  very  plain;  for  he  there  is 
particularly  declaring,  how  some  professors  of  religion  would  noto- 
riously fail  in  the  practice  of  it,  and  then  in  the  5th  verse  ob- 
serves, that  in  being  thus  of  an  unholy  practice,  they  deny  the 
power  of  godliness,  though  they  have  the  form  of  it.  Indeed  the 
power  of  godliness  is  exerted  in  the  first  place  within  the  soul,  in 
the  sensible,  lively  exercise  of  gracious  affections  there.  Yet  the 
principal  evidence  of  this  power  of  godliness,  is  in  those  exercises 
of  holy  affections  that  are  practical,  and  in  their  being  practical; 
in  conquering  the  will,  and  conquering  the  lusts  and  corruptions 
of  men,  and  carrying  men  on  in  the  way  of  holiness,  through  all 
temptation,  difficulty,  and  opposition. 

Again,  the  reason  why  gracious  affections  have  their  exercise 
and  effect  in  christian  practice,  appears  from  this  (which  has  also 
been  before  observed)  that  "  the  first  objective  ground  of  gracious 
affections,  is  the  transcendently  excellent  and  amiable  nature  of 
divine  things,  as  they  are  in  themselves,  and  not  any  conceived 
relation  they  bear  to  self,  or  self-interest."  This  shows  why 
holy  affections  will  cause  men  to  be  holy  in  their  practice  univer- 
sally. Wliat  makes  men  partial  in  religion  is,  that  they  seek 
themselves,  and  not  God,  in  their  religion;  and  close  with  reli- 
gion, not  for  its  own  excellent  nature,  but  only  to  serve  a  turn. 
He  that  closes  with  religion  only  to  serve  a  turn,  will  close  with 
no  more  of  it  than  he  imagines  serves  that  turn;  but  he  that  closes 
with  religion  for  its  own  excellent  and  lovely  nature,  closes  with 
all  that  has  that  nature:  he  that  embraces  religion  for  its  own 
sake,  embraces  the  whole  of  religion.  This  also  shows  why  gra- 
cious affections  will  cause  men  to  practise  religion  perseveringly, 
and  at  all  times.  Religion  may  alter  greatly  in  process  of  time, 
as  to  its  consistence  with  mens  private  interest,  in  many  respects; 
and  therefore  he  that  complies  with  it  only  for  selfish  views,  is 
liable  in  change  of  times  to  forsake  it;  but  the  excellent  nature 
ef  religion,  as  it  is  in  itself,  is  invariable;  it  is  always  the  same, 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  3$d 

at  JvJl  times,  and  through  all  changes;  it  never  alters  in  any  re- 
spect. 

The  reason  why  gracious  affections  issue  in  holy  practice,  also 
further  appears  from  the  kind  of  excellency  of  divine  things,  that 
it  has  been  observed  is  the  foundation  of  all  holy  affections,  viz. 
"  their  moral  excellency,  or  the  beauty  of  their  holiness."  No 
wonder  that  a  love  to  holiness,  for  holiness'  sake,  inclines  persons 
to  practise  holiness,  and  to  practise  every  thing  that  is  holy.  See- 
ing holiness  is  the  main  thing  that  excites,  draws,  and  governs 
all  gracious  affections,  no  wonder  that  all  such  affections  tend  to 
holiness.  That  which  men  love,  they  desire  to  have  and  to  be 
united  to,  and  possessed  of.  That  beauty  which  men  delight  in, 
they  desire  to  be  adorned  with.  Those  acts  which  men  delight 
in,  they  necessarily  incline  to  do. 

And  what  has  been  observed  of  the  divine  teaching  and  lead- 
ing of  the  Spirit  of  God  which  there  is  in  gracious  affections, 
show  s  the  reason  of  this  tendency ^of  such  affections  to  an  univer- 
sally holy  practice.  For,  as  has  been  observed,  the  Spirit  of  God 
in  this  his  divine  teaching  and  leading,  gives  the  soul  a  natural  re- 
lish of  the  sweetness  of  that  which  is  holy,  and  of  every  thing 
that  is  holy,  so  far  as  it  comes  in  view  and  excites  a  disrelish  and 
disgust  of  every  thing  that  is  unholy. 

The  same  also  appears  from  what  has  been  observed  of  the 
walure  of  that  spiritual  knowledge,  which  is  the  foundation  of  all 
holy  affection,  as  consisting  in  a  sense  and  view  of  that  excellen- 
cy in  divine  things,  which  is  supreme  and  transcendent.  For 
hereby  these  things  appear  above  all  others,  worthy  to  be  chosen 
and  adhered  to.  By  the  sight  of  the  transcendent  glory  of  Christ, 
true  Christians  see  him  worthy  to  be  followed;  and  so  are  power- 
fully drawn  after  him;  they  see  him  worthy  that  they  should  for- 
sake all  for  him:  by  the  sight  of  that  superlative  amiablcness, 
they  are  thoroughly  disposed  to  be  subject  to  him,  and  engaged  to 
labour  with  earnestness  and  activity  in  his  service,  and  made  wil- 
ling to  go  through  all  difficulties  for  his  sake.  And  it  is  the  dis- 
covery of  this  divine  excellency  of  Christ,  that  makes  them  con- 
stant to  him;  for  it  makes  a  deep  impression  upon  their  minds. 


356  TWELFTH    SIGN    OF 

that  they  can  not  forget  him;  and  they  will  follow  him  whither- 
soever he  goes,  and  it  is  in  vain  for  any  to  endeavour  to  draw 
them  away  from  him. 

The  reason  of  this  practical  tendency  and  issue  of  gracious  af- 
fections, further  appears  from  what  has  been  observed  of  such 
affections  being  "  attended  with  a  thorough  conviction  of  the 
judgment  of  the  reality  and  certainty  of  divine  things."  No  won- 
der that  they  who  were  never  thoroughly  convinced  that  there  is 
any  reality  in  the  things  of  religion,  will  never  be  at  the  labour  and 
trouble  of  such  an  earnest,  universal,  and  persevering  practice  of 
religion,  through  all  difficulties,  self-denials,  and  sufferings,  in  a 
dependence  on  that  which  they  are  not  convinced  of.  But  on  the 
other  hand,  they  who  are  thoroughly  convinced  of  the  certain 
truth  of  those  things,  must  needs  be  governed  by  them  in  their 
practice;  for  the  things  revealed  in  the  word  of  God  are  so  great, 
and  so  infinitely  more  important  than  all  other  things,  that  it  is 
inconsistent  with  the  human  nature,  that  a  man  should  fully  be- 
lieve the  truth  of  them,  and  not  be  influenced  by  them  above  all 
things  in  his  practice. 

Again,  the  reason  of  this  expression  and  effect  of  holy  affections 
in  the  practice,  appears  from  what  has  been  observed  of  "  a 
change  of  nature,  accompanying  such  affections."  Without  a 
change  of  nature,  mens  practice  will  not  be  thoroughly  changed. 
Until  the  tree  be  made  good,  the  fruit  will  not  be  good.  Men 
dp  not  gather  grapes  of  thorns,  nor  figs  of  thistles.  The  swine 
may  be  washed,  and  appear  clean  for  a  little  while,  but  yet,  with- 
out a  change  of  nature  he  will  still  wallow  in  the  mire.  Nature 
is  a  more  powerful  principle  of  action  than  any  thing  that  op- 
poses it:  though  it  may  be  violently  restrained  for  awhile,  it  will 
finally  overcome  that  which  restrains  it:  it  is  like  the  stream  of 
a  river,  it  may  be  stopped  awhile  with  a  dam,  but  if  nothing  be 
done  to  dry  tlie  fountain,  it  will  not  be  stopped  always;  it  will 
have  a  course,  either  in  its  old  channel,  or  a  new  one.  Nature  is 
a  thing  more  constant  and  permanent  than  any  of  those  things 
that  are  the  foundation  of  carnal  mens  reformation  and  righte- 
ousness.    When  a  natural  man  denies  his  lusts,  and  lives  a  strict. 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  357 

Leligious  life,  and  seems  humble,  painful,  and  earnest  in  reli- 
gion, it  is  not  natural;  it  is  all  a  force  against  nature;  as  when  a 
stone  is  violently  thrown  upwards;  but  that  force  will  be  gradually 
spent,  yet  nature  will  remain  in  its  full  strength,  and  so  prevails 
again,  and  the  stone  returns  downwards.  As  long  as  corrupt  na- 
ture is  not  mortified,  but  the  principle  left  whole  in  a  man,  it  is  a 
vain  thing  to  expect  that  it  should  not  govern.  But  if  the  old  na- 
ture be  indeed  mortified,  and  a  new  and  heavenly  nature  infused, 
then  may  it  well  be  expected,  that  men  will  ivalk  in  newness  of 
life,  and  continue  to  do  so  to  the  end  of  their  days. 

The  reason  of  this  practical  exercise  and  effect  of  holy  affec- 
tions, may  also  be  partly  seen,  from  what  has  been  said  of  that 
spirit  of  humility  which  attends  them.  Humility  is  that  wherein 
a  spirit  of  obedience  does  much  consist.  A  proud  spirit  is  a  re- 
bellious spirit,  but  an  humble  spirit  is  a  yieldable,  subject,  obedi- 
ential spirit.  We  see  among  men,  that  the  servant  who  is  of  a 
haughty  spirit,  is  not  apt  in  every  thing  to  be  submissive  and 
obedient  to  the  will  of  his  master;  but  it  is  otherwise  with  that 
servant  who  is  of  a  lowly  spirit, 

Aad  that  lamblike,  dovelike  spirit,  that  has  been  spoken  of, 
which  accompanies  all  gracious  affections,  fulfils  (as  the  apostle 
observes,  Rom.  xiii,  8,  9,  10,  and  Gal.  v,  14,)  all  the  duties  of 
the  second  table  of  the  law;  wherein  christian  practice  does  very 
much  consist,  and  wherein  the  external  practice  of  Christianity 
chiefly  consists. 

And  the  reason  why  gracious  affections  are  attended  with  that 
strict,  universal  and  constant  obedience  which  has  been  spokert 
of,  further  appears  from  what  has  been  observed  of  that  tender- 
ness of  spirit  which  accompanies  the  affections  of  true  saints, 
causing  in  them  so  quick  and  lively  a  sense  of  pain  through  the 
presence  of  moral  evil,  and  such  a  dread  of  the  appearance  of 
evil. 

And  one  great  reason  why  the  christian  practice  which  flows 
from  gracious  affections,  is  universal,  and  constant,  and  perse- 
vering, appears  from  what  has  been  observed  of  those  affections 

themselves,  from  whence  this  practice  flows,  being  universal  n.x\A 

2  Y 


358  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

constant,  in  all  kinds  of  holy  exercises,  and  towards  all  objects, 
and  in  all  circumstances,  and  at  all  seasons  in  a  beautiful  sym- 
metry and  proportion. 

And  much  of  the  reason  why  holy  affections  are  expressed  and 
manifested  in  such  an  earnestness,  activity,  and  engagedncss  and 
perseverance  in  holy  practice,  as  has  been  spoken  of,  appears  from 
what  has  been  observed,  of  the  spiritual  appetite  and  longing  after 
further  attainments  in  religion,  which  ever  more  attends  true  af- 
fection, and  does  not  decay,  but  increases  as  those  affections  in- 
crease. 

Thus  we  see  how  the  tendency  of  holy  affections  to  such  a  chris- 
tian practice,  as  has  been  explained,  appears  from  each  of  those 
characteristics  of  holy  affection  that  have  been  before  spoken  of. 

And  this  point  may  be  further  illustrated  and  confirmed,  if  it  be 
considered,  that  the  holy  scriptures  do  abundantly  place  sincerity 
and  soundness  in  religion,  in  making  a  full  choice  of  God  as  our 
only  Lord  and  portion,  forsaking  all  for  him,  and  in  a  full  deter- 
mination of  the  will  for  God  and  Christ,  on  counting  the  cost; 
in  our  heart's  closing  and  complying  with  the  religion  of  Jesus 
Christ,  with  all  that  belongs  to  it,  embracing  it  with  all  its  diffi- 
culties, as  it  were  hating  our  dearest  earthly  enjoyments,  and  even 
our  own  lives,  for  Christ;  giving  up  ourselves,  with  all  that  we 
have,  wholly  and  forever,  unto  Christ,  without  keeping  back  any 
thing,  or  making  any  reserve;  or,  in  one  word,  in  the  great  duty 
of  self-denial  for  Christ;  or  in  denying,  i.  e.  as  it  were,  disowning 
and  renouncing  ourselves  for  him,  making  ourselves  nothing  that 
he  may  be  all.  See  the  texts  to  this  purpose  referred  to  in  the 
margin.!     Now  surely  having  a  heart  to  forsake  all  for  Christ, 

f  Matt.  V.  29,  30.  Chap.  vi.  24.  Chap.  viii.  19—22.  Chap.  iv.  18,  to  22 
Chap.  X.  37,  38,  39.  Chap.  xiii.  44,  45,  46.  Chap.  xvi.  24,  25,  26.  Chap,  xviii. 
8,  9.  Chap,  xix,  21,  27,  28,  29.  Luke  v.  27,  28.  Chap.  x.  42.  Chap.  xii.  33, 
34.  Chap.  xiv.  16.— 20,  25—33.  Chap.  xvi.  13.  Acts  iv.  34,  35,  with  Chap. 
V.  1—11.  Rom.  vi.3— 8.  Gal.  ii.  20.  Chap.  vi.  14.  Philip,  iil.  7—10.  Jam.  i. 
8,  9,  10.  Chap.  iv.  4.  1  John  ii.  15.  Rev.  xrv.  4.  Gen.  xxii.  1 — 4.  with  Heb.  xi. 
8,  9, 10.  Gen.  xxii.  12,  and  Heb.  xi.  17.  Chap.  xi.  24—27.  Deut.  xiii.  6,  and 
Chap,  xxxiii.  9.  Ruth  i.  6—16,  with  Psal.xlv.  10,  11,  and  2  Sam.  xv.  19—22'. 
Psal.  Ixxiii.  25,  Psal.  xvi.  5,  6.  Lam.  iii.  24.  Jer.  x.  16. 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  359 

tends  to  actually  forsaking  all  for  him,  so  far  as  there  is  occasion, 
and  we  have  the  trial.  And  having  a  heart  to  deny  ourselves  for 
Christ,  tends  to  a  denying  ourselves  indeed,  when  Christ  and  self- 
interest  stand  in  competition.  A  giving  up  of  ourselves,  with  all 
that  we  have,  in  our  hearts,  without  making  any  reserve  there, 
tends  to  our  behaving  ours^elv^es  universally  as  his,  as  subject  to 
his  will  and  devoted  to  his  ends.  Our  heart's  entirely  closing  with 
the  religion  of  Jesus,  with  all  that  belongs  to  it,  and  as  attended 
with  all  its  difficulties,  upon  a  deliberate  counting  the  cost,  tends 
to  a  universal  closing  with  the  same  in  act  and  deed,  and  actually 
going  through  all  the  difficulties  that  we  meet  with  in  the  way  of 
religion,  and  so  holding  out  with  patience  and  perseverance. 

The  tendency  of  grace  in  the  heart  to  holy  practice,  is  very  direct, 
and  the  connexion  most  natural,  close,  and  necessary.  True  grace 
is  not  an  unactive  thing;  there  is  nothing  in  heaven  or  earth  of  a 
more  active  nature;  for  it  is  life  itself,  and  the  most  active  kind  of 
life,  even  spiritual  and  divine  life.     It  is  no  barren  thing;  there  is 
nothing  in  the  universe  that  in  its  nature  has  a  greater  tendency 
to  fruit.     Godliness  in  the  heart  has  as  direct  a  relation  to  prac- 
tice, as  a  fountain  has  to  a  stream,  or  as  the  luminous  nature  of 
the  sun  has  to  beams  sent  forth,  or  as  life  has  to  breathing,  or  the 
beating  of  the  pulse,  or  any  other  vital  act;  or  as  a  habit  or  prin- 
,  ciple  of  action  has  to  action;  for  it  is  the  very  nature  and  notion 
I  of  grace,  that  is  a  principle  of  holy  action  or  practice.     Regene- 
,  ration,  which  is  that  work  of  God  in  which  grace  is  infused,  has 
I  a  direct  relation  to  practice;   for  it  is  the  very  end  of  it,  with  a 
view  to  which  the  whole  work  is  wrought;  all  is  calculated  and 
framed,  in  this  mighty  and  manifold  change  wrought  in  the  soul, 
so  as  directly  to  tend  to  this  end.     Eph.  ii.  10,  "  For  we  are  his 
workmanship,  created  in  Christ  Jesus  unto  good  works,"     Yea  it 
is  the  very  end  of  the  redemption  of  Christ,  Tit.  ii.  14,    "  Who 
gave  himself  for  us,  that  he  might  redeem  us  from  all  iniquity,  and 
purify  unto  himself  a  peculiar  people,  zealous  of  good  works.'" 
Eph.  i,  "  According  as  he  hath  chosen  us  in  him,  before  the  founda- 
tion of  the  world,  that  Ave  should  be  holy,  and  without  blame  be- 
fore him  in  love."     Chap,  ii.  10,    "Created  unto  good  works. 


d60  tWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

which  God  hath  foreordained  that  we  should  walk  in  them.'"' 
Holv  practice  is  as  much  the  end  of  all  that  God  does  about  his 
^saints,  as  fruit  is  the  end  of  all  the  husbandman  does  about  the 
growth  of  his  field  or  vineyard;  as  the  matter  is  often  represented 
in  scripture,  Mat.  iii.  10,  chapter  xiii.  8, 23,  30, 38,  chapter  xxi, 
19,  33,  34.  Luke  xiii.  6.  John  xv.  1,  2,  4,  5,  6,  8.  1  Cor.  iii. 
9.  Heb.  vi.  7,  8.  Isa.  v.  1—8.  Cant.  viii.  11,  12.  Isa.  xxvii.2, 
S.f  And  therefore  every  thing  in  a  true  Christian  is  calculated 
to  reach  this  end.  This  fruit  of  holy  practice  is  what  every  grace, 
and  every  discovery,  and  every  individual  thing  which  belongs  to 
christian  experience,  has  a  direct  tendency  to.| 

■|-  "  To  profess  to  know  much  is  easy;  but  to  bring  your  affections  into  sub- 
jection, to  wrestle  with  lusts,  to  cross  your  wills  and  yourselves,  upon  every 
occasion,  this  is  hard.  The  Lord  looketh  that  in  our  lives  we  should  be  ser- 
viceable to  him,  and  useful  to  men.  That  which  is  vvit:iin,  the  Lord  and  our 
brethren  are  never  the  better  for  it:  but  the  outward  obedience,  flowing 
thence,  glorifieth  God,  and  does  good  to  men.  The  Lord  will  have  this 
done.  What  else  is  the  end  of  our  planting  and  watering,  but  that  the  trees 
may  be  filled  with  sap?  And  what  is  the  end  of  that  sap,  but  that  the  trees 
may  bring  forth  fruit?  What  careth  the  husbandman  for  leaves  and  barren 
trees?"     Dv.  Preston  of  the  Church's  Carriage, 

^  "  what  is  the  end  of  every  grace,  but  to  mollify  the  heart,  and  make  it 
pliable  to  some  command  or  other?  Look  how  many  commandments,  so 
many  graces  there  are  in  virtue  and  efficacy,  although  not  so  many  several 
names  are  given  them.  The  end  of  every  such  grace  is  to  make  us  obedient: 
as  the  end  of  temperance  is  chastity,  to  bow  the  heart  to  these  commands. 
Be  ye  sober,  &c.  not  in  chambering  and  wantonness,  &c.  When  the  Lord 
commandeth  us  not  to  be  angry  with  our  brother,  the  end  of  meekness,  and 
why  the  Lord  infuseth  it,  is  to  keep  usfrom  unadvised  rash  anger.  So  faith, 
the  end  of  it  is  to  take  Jesus  Christ  to  make  us  obedient  to  the  command  of 
the  gospel,  which  commands  us  to  believe  in  him.  So  as  all  graces  do  join  to- 
gether, but  to  frame  and  fashion  the  soul  to  obedience,  then  so  much  obe- 
dience as  in  your  lives,  so  much  grace  in  your  hearts,  and  no  more.  Therefore 
ask  your  hearts,  how  subject  you  are  to  the  Lord  in  your  lives?  It  was  the 
counsel  that  Francis  Spira  gave  to  them  about  him,  saith  he.  Learn  all  of  me 
to  take  heed  of  severing  faith  and  obedience;  I  taught  justification  by  faith, 
but  neglected  obedience;  and  therefore  is  this  befallen  me.  I  have  known 
some  godly  men,  whose  comfort  on  their  death-beds  hath  been  not  from  the 
inward  acts  of  their  minds,  which  apart  considered,  might  be  subject  to 
iTiisapprehensions,  but  from  the  course  of  obedience  in  their  lives,  issuing 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  361 

The  constant  and  indissoluble  connexion  that  there  is  between 
a  christian  principle  and  profession  in  the  true  saints,  and  the  fruit 
of  holy  practice  in  their  lives,  was  typified  of  old  in  the  frame  of 
the  golden  candlestick  in  the  temple.  It  is  beyond  doubt  that 
that  golden  candlestick,  with  its  seven  branches  and  seven  lamps, 
was  a  type  of  the  church  of  Christ.  The  Holy  Ghost  himself  has 
been  pleased  to  put  that  matter  out  of  doubt,  by  representing  his 
church  by  such  a  golden  candlestick,  with  seven  lamps,  in  the 
fourth  chapter  of  Zechariah,  and  representing  the  seven  churches 
of  Asia  by  seven  golden  candlesticks,  in  the  first  chapter  of  the 
Revelation.  That  golden  candlestick  in  the  temple  was  every 
where,  throughout  its  Avhole  frame,  made  with  knops  and  flowers, 
Exod.  XXV.  31,  to  the  end,  and  chapter  xxxvii.  17 — 24.  The 
worcl  translated  knop,  in  the  original,  signifies  apple  or  pome- 
granate. There  was  a  knop  and  a  flower,  a  knop  and  a  flower: 
wherever  there  was  a  flower,  there  was  an  apple  or  pomegranate 
with  it:  the  flower  and  the  fruit  were  constantly  connected,  with- 
out fail.  The  flower  contained  the  principle  of  the  fruit,  and  a 
beautiful  promising  appearance  of  it;  and  it  never  was  a  deceit- 
ful appearance;  the  principle  or  show  of  fruit,  had  evermore  real 
fruit  attending  it,  or  succeeding  it.  So  it  is  in  the  church  of  Christ: 
there  is  the  principle  of  fruit  in  grace  in  the  heart:  and  there  is  an 
amiable  profession,  signified  by  the  open  flowers  of  the  candle- 
stick; and  there  is  answerable  fruit,  in  holy  practice,  constantly 
attending  this  principle  and  profession.  Every  branch  of  the  gold- 
en candlestick,  thus  composed  of  golden  apples  and  flowers,  was 
crowned  with  a  burning,  shining  lamp  on  the  top  of  it.  For  it  is 
by  this  means  that  the  saints  shine  as  lights  in  the  world,  by  making 
a  fair  and  good  profession  of  religion,  and  having  their  profession 
evermore  joined  with  answerable  fruit  in  practice:  agreeable  to 
that  of  our  Saviour,  Matt.  v.  15,  16,  "  Neither  do  men  light  a 
candle,  and  put  it  under  a  bushel,  but  on  a  candlestick,  and  it 

thence.  Let  Christians  look  to  it,  that  in  all  their  conversation,  as  they 
stand  in  every  relation,  as  scholars,  tradesmen,  husbands,  wives,  look  to  this, 
that  when  they  come  to  die,  they  have  been  subject  in  all  things.  This  will 
yield  comfort."     Lr.  Preston's  Church's  Ccrrriage. 


S62  TWELFTH  SIGN  OP 

giveth  light  unto  all  that  are  in  the  house.  Let  your  light  so  shine 
before  men,  that  they  may  see  your  good  works,  and  gloriiy  your 
Father  which  is  in  heaven."  A  fair  and  beautiful  profession,  and 
golden  fruits  accompanying  one  another,  are  the  amiable  orna- 
ments of  the  true  church  of  Christ.  Therefore  we  find  that- ap- 
ples and  flowers  were  not  only  the  ornaments  of  the  candlestick  in 
the  temple,  but  of  the  temple  itself,  which  is  a  type  of  the  church; 
which  the  apostle  tells  us  "  is  the  temple  of  the  living  God,"  See 
1  Kings  vi.  18,  "And  the  cedar  of  the  bouse  within  was  carved 
with  knops,  and  open  flowers,"  The  ornaments  and  crown  of  the 
pillars,  at  the  entrance  of  the  temple,  were  of  the  same  sort:  they 
were  lilies  and  pomegranates,  or  flowers  and  fruits  mixed  to- 
gether, 1  Kings  vii.  18,  19,  So  it  is  with  all  those  that  are  "  as 
pillars  in  the  temple  of  God,  who  shall  go  no  more  out,"  or  never 
be  ejected  as  intruders;  as  it  is  with  all  true  saints,  Rev,  iii.  12, 
"  Him  that  overcometh,  will  I  make  a  pillar  in  the  temple  of  my 
God,  and  he  shall  go  no  more  out." 

Much  the  same  thing  seems  to  be  signified  by  the  ornaments 
on  the  skirts  of  the  ephod,  the  garment  of  Aaron,  the  high  priest, 
which  were  golden  bells  and  pomegranates.  That  these  skirts 
of  Aaron's  garment  represented  the  church,  or  the  saints,  (that 
are  as  it  were  the  garment  of  Christ)  is  manifest;  for  they  are  evi- 
dently so  spoken  of,  Psal.  cxxxiii.  1,2,"  Behold  how  good  and 
how  pleasant  it  is  for  brethren  to  dwell  together  in  unity!  It  is 
like  the  precious  ointment  upon  the  head,  that  ran  down  upon  the 
beard,  even  Aaron's  beard,  that  w^ent  down  fo  the  skirts  of  his 
garments."  That  ephod  of  Aaron  signified  the  same  with  the 
seamless  coat  of  Christ,  our  great  High  Priest.  As  Christ's  coat 
had  no  seam,  but  was  woven  from  the  top  throughout,  so  it  was 
with  the  ephod,  Exod.  xxix.  22.  As  God  took  care  in  his  pro- 
vidence, that  Christ's  coat  should  not  be  rent;  so  God  took  special 
care  that  the  ephod  should  not  be  rent;  Exod.  xxviii.  32,  and 
chap,  xxxix.  23.  The  golden  bells  on  this  ephod,  by  their  pre- 
cious matter  and  pleasant  sound,  do  well  represent  the  good  pro- 
fession that  the  saints  make;  and  the  pomegranates,  the  fruit  they 
bring  forth.    And  as  in  the  hem  of  the  ephod,  bells  and  pome- 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  363 

^'anates  were  constantly  connected,  as  is  once  and  again  observ- 
ed, there  was  a  golden  bell  and  a  pomegranate,  a  golden  bell  and 
a  pomegranate,  Exod.  xxviii.  34,  and  chap,  xxxix.  26,  so  it  is  in 
the  true  saints;  their  good  profession  and  their  good  fruit  do  con- 
stantly accompany  one  another:  the  fruit  they  bring  forth  in  life, 
evermore  answers  the  pleasant  sound  of  their  profession. 

Again,  the  very  same  thing  is  represented  by  Christ,  in  his  de- 
scription of  his  spouse.  Cant.  vii.  2.  "  Thy  belly  is  like  a  heap 
of  wheat,  set  about  with  lilies."  Here  again  are  beautiful  flow- 
ers and  good  fruit,  accompanying  one  another.  The  lilies  were 
fair  and  beautiful  flowers,  and  the  wheat  was  good  fruit. 

As  this  fruit  of  christian  practice  is  evermore  found  in  true 
saints,  according  as  they  have  opportunity  and  trial,  so  it  is  found 
in  them  only;  none  but  true  Christians  do  live  such  an  obedient 
life,  so  universally  devoted  to  their  duty,  and  given  up  to  the  bu- 
siness of  a  Christian,  as  has  been  explained.  All  unsanctified 
men  are  workers  of  iniquity:  they  are  of  their  father  the  devil, 
and  the  lusts  of  their  father  they  will  do.  There  is  no  hypocrite 
that  will  go  through  with  the  business  of  religion,  and  both  begin 
and  finish  the  tour.  They  will  not  endure  the  trials  God  is  xvont 
to  bring  on  the  professors  of  religion,  but  will  turn  aside  to  their 
crooked  ways:  they  will  not  be  thoroughly  faithful  to  Christ  in 
their  practice,  and  follow  him  withersoever  he  goes.  Whatever 
lengths  they  may  go  in  religion  in  some  instances,  and  though 
they  may  appear  exceeding  strict,  and  mightily  engaged  in  the 
service  of  God  for  a  season,  yet  they  are  servants  to  sin;  the  chains 
of  their  old  task-masters  are  not  broken;  their  lusts  have  yet  a 
reigning  power  in  their  hearts;  and  therefore  to  these  masters  they 
will  bow  down  again.f     Daniel,  xii.  10,  "  Many  shall  be  puri- 

t "  No  unregenerate  man,  though  he  go  never  so  far,  let  him  do  nevei* 
so  much,  but  he  lives  in  some  one  sin  or  other,  secret  or  open,  little  or  great. 
Judas  went  far,  but  he  was  covetous;  Herod  went  far  but  he  loved  his  He- 
rodias.  Every  dog  has  hi«  kennel;  every  swine  hath  his  swill ;  and  every 
wicked  man  his  lust."      Shepard's  Sincere  Convert,  1st.  edition,  p.  96. 

"  There  is  never  an  unsound  heart  in  the  world,  but  as  they  say  of  witches 
they  have  some  familiar  tJiat  sucks  them,  so  they  have  some  lust  that  is  be- 


364  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

fied  and  made  white,  and  tried:  but  the  wicked  will  do  wickedly, 
and  none  of  the  wicked  shall  understand."  Isa.  xxvi.  10,  "  Let 
favour  be  showed  to  the  wicked,  yet  will  he  not  learn  righteous- 
ness; in  the  land  of  uprightness  will  he  deal  unjustly."  Isa.  xxxv, 
8,  "  And  an  highway  shall  be  there,  and  a  way,  and  it  shall  be 
called  the  way  of  holiness;  the  unclean  shall  not  pass  over  it." 

loved  of  thenis  some  beloved  there  is  they  have  given  a  promise  never  to 
forsake.     Shepnrd's  Parable,  Part  I.  p.  15. 

"  No  man  that  is  married  to  the  law,  but  his  fig  leaves  cover  some  na- 
kedness. All  his  duties  ever  breed  some  lust.  There  is  some  one  sin  or 
other  the  man  lives  in  ;  which  either  the  Lord  discovers,  and  he  will  not 
part  with,  as  the  young  man  ;  or  else  is  so  spiritual,  he  can  not  see  all  his 
life-time.  Read  through  the  strictest  of  all  and  see  this,  Matth.  xxiii. 
Painted  sepulchres.  Paul  that  was  blameless,  yet  (Eph.  ii.  3.  Tit.  iii.  3.) 
'  served  divers  lusts  and  pleasures.'  And  the  reason  is,  the  law  is  not  the 
ministration  of  the  Spirit,  2  Cor.  iii.  8,  9,  which  breaks  off  from  every  sin  ^ 
There  is  no  law  tliat  can  give  life.  Gal.  iii.  '2l.  and  hence  many  men  have 
strong  resolutions,  and  break  all  again.  Hence  men  sin  and  sorrow,  and 
pray  again,  and  then  go  with  more  ease  in  their  sin.  Examine  thyself,  is 
there  any  living  lust  with  thy  righteousness?  It  is  sure,  it  is  a  righteousness 
thou  art  married  to,  and  never  wert  yet  matched  to  Christ."  Shepard's  Pa- 
rable, Part  I.  p.  19.  20. 

"  No  hypocrite,  though  hecloseth  with  Christ,  and  for  a  time  grow  up  in 
knowledge  of,  and  communion  with  Christ;  but  he  hath  at  that  time  hidden 
lusts  and  thorns  that  overgrow  his  growings,  and  choke  all  at  last,  and  in 
conclusion  mediates  a  league  between  Christ  and  his  lusts,  and  seeks  to  re- 
concile them  together."     Shepard's  Parable,  Part  1.  p.  109. 

" — Their  faith  is  in  such  a  party,  as  never  was  vet  thoroughly  rent  from 
sin.  And  here  is  the  great  wound  of  the  most  cunning  hypocrite's  living. — 
Let  a  man  be  cast  down  as  low  as  hell  with  sorrow,  and  lie  under  chains, 
quaking  in  apprehension  of  terror  to  come,  let  a  man  then  be  raised  up  to 
heaven  in  joy,  not  abla  to  live,  let  a  man  reform  and  shine  like  an  earthly 
angel;  yet  if  not  rent  from  lust,  that  either  you  did  never  see  it,  or  if  so, 
you  have  not  followed  the  Lord  to  remove  it,  but  proud,  dogged,  worldly 
sluggish  still,  false  in  your  dealings,  cunning  in  your  tradings,  devils  in  your 
families,  images  in  your  churches;  you  are  objects  of  pity  now,  and  shall  be 
of  terror  at  the  great  day.  For  where  sin  remains  in  power,  it  will  bring 
faith  and  Christ  and  joy  into  bondage  and  service  of  itself."  Shepard's 
Parable,  Part  I.  p.  125. 

"Methinks  it  is  with  the  best  hypocrites,  as  it  is  with  divers  old  merchants: 
they  prize  and  desire  the  gain  of  merchandize;  but  to  be  at  the  trouble  of 
preparing  the  ship,  to  put  themselves  upon  the  hazards  and  dangers  of  the 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS,  36$^ 

Hos.  xiv.  9,  "  The  ways  of  the  Lord  are  right,  and  the  just  shall 
walk  in  them:  but  the  transgressor  shall  fall  therein."  Job  xxii. 
8,  9,  10,  "  What  is  the  hope  of  the  hypocrite?  Will  he  delight 
himself  in  the  Almighty?  Will  he  always  call  upon  God?"  An 
unsanctified  man  may  hide  his  sin,  and  may  in  many  things,  and 
for  a  season,  refrain  from  sin;  but  he  will  not  be  brought  finally  to 
renounce  his  sin,  and  give  it  a  bill  of  divorce:  sin  is  too  dear  to  him, 
for  him  to  be  willing  for  that:  "  Wickedness  is  sweet  in  his 
mouth;  and  therefore  he  hides  it  under  his  tongue;  he  spares  it, 
and  forsakes  it  not;  but  keeps  it  still  within  his  mouth,"  Job  xx, 
12, 13.     Herein  chiefly  consists  the  straightness  of  the  gate,  and 

sliip,  to  go  and  fetcli  the  treasures  that  they  prize,  this  tliey  will  never  do. 
So  many  prize  and  desire  earnestly  the  treasures  of  heaven;  but  to  be  at 
the  trouble  of  a  heaven  voyage  to  fetch  this  treasure,  to  pass  through  the 
valley  of  Bacca,  tears,  temptations,  the  powers  of  darkness,  the  breaches, 
oppositions,  and  contradictions  of  a  sinful  and  unbelieving  heart,  good  and 
evil  report;  to  pass  from  one  depth  and  wave  to  another,  this  the  best 
hypocrite  fails  in;  and  hence  loses  all  at  last.  And  this  I  conceive  to  be 
one  of  the  great  differences  between  the  strong  desires  and  esteems  of  hy- 
pocrites and  saints. — Look,  as  it  is  with  men  that  have  two  trades,  or  two 
sliops;  one  is  as  much  as  ever  they  can  follow  or  tend;  they  are  forced  at  last 
to  put  off  one,  and  they  mu.st  neglect  one;  so  here.— That  spirit  of  sloth  and 
slumber  which  the  Lord  ever  leaves  the  best  hypocrite  to,  so  mightily  op- 
presseth  all  their  senses,  that  they  can  not  use  effectually  all  means  to  ac- 
complish their  ends.  And  hence  a  man  desires  the  end  but  has  it  not; 
I'rov.  xiii.  4."     Shepard's  Parable,  Part  \.  p.  150,  151. 

'' Head  through  all  the  scripture;  constantly,  never  any  hypocrites  but 
ihey  had  this  brand,  Matth.  vii.  23.  'You  workers  of  iniquity.'  "  Shepard^s 
Parable,  Part  L  p.  195. 

"  A  carnal  man  may  hit  upon  some  good  duty  that  God  commands,  and  re- 
frain from  some  sin  that  God  forbids:  but  to  go  through  he  can  not;  to  take  up 
reproach  and  disgrace,  to  lose  his  credit,  to  forsake  his  friends,  lo  lose  honour 
and  riches  and  pleasures;  this  he  will  not  do  until  hebe  humbled."  Br.  Pres- 
ton on  Paitl'n  Conversion. 

"  So  it  is  with  men  because  they  want  humiliation.  Therefore  their  pro- 
fession and  they  do  not  continue,  but  part  willmgly  one  from  another.  Tiiey 
will  do  some  things,  but  not  all  things;  and  tiiey  will  forego  some  things,  but 
not  all  things.  And  therefore  our  Saviour  sailh,  Luke,  xiv.  '  He  that  will 
not  forsake  all  for  my  sake  is  not  worthy  of  me.'  Me  is  not  worth  the  saving 
that  prizes  not  me  above  all  things  whatsoever.  And  a  man  will  not  priae 
'Christ,  nor  forsake  all  things  for  Christ,  until  he  be  humbled."    Ibid. 

2    7. 


366  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

the  narrowness  of  the  way  that  leads  to  life:  upon  the  account  oi' 
which,  carnal  men  will  not  go  in  thereat,  viz.  that  it  is  a  way  of 
utterly  denying  and  finally  renouncing  all  ungodliness,  and  so  a 
way  of  self-denial  or  self-renunciation. 

Many  natural  men,  under  the  means  that  are  used  with  them, 
and  God's  strivings  with  them  to  bring  them  to  forsake  their  sins, 
do  by  their  sins  as  Pharaoh  did  by  his  pride  and  covetousness, 
which  he  gratified  by  keeping  the  children  of  Israel  in  bondage, 
when  God  strove  with  him,  to  bring  him  to  let  the  people  go. 
When  God's  hand  pressed  Pharaoh  sore,  and  he  was  exercised 
with  fears  of  God's  future  wrath,  he  entertained  some  thoughts  of 
letting  the  people  go,  and  promised  he  would  do  it;  but  from  time 
to  time  he  broke  his  promises,  when  he  saw  there  was  respite. 
When  God  filled  Egypt  with  thunder  and  lightning,  and  the  fire 
ran  along  the  ground,  then  Pharaoh  is  brought  to  confess  his  sin 
with  seeming  humility,  and  to  have  a  great  resolution  to  let  the 
people  go,  Exod.  ix.  27,  28,  "  And  Pharaoh  sent,  and  called  for 
Moses  and  Aaron,  and  said  unto  them,  I  have  sinned  this  time: 
the  Lord  is  righteous,  and  I  and  my  people  are  wicked:  entreat 
the  Lord  (for  it  is  enough)  that  there  be  no  more  mighty  thun- 
derings  and  hail;  and  I  will  let  you  go,  and  ye  shall  stay  no 
longer."  So  sinners  are  sometimes  by  thunders  and  lightnings, 
and  great  terrors  of  the  law,  brought  to  a  seeming  work  of  hu- 
miliation, and  to  appearance  to  part  with  their  sins;  but  are  no 
more  thoroughly  brought  to  a  disposition  to  dismiss  them,  than 
Pharaoh  was  to  let  the  people  go.  Pharaoh  in  the  struggle  that 
was  between  his  conscience  and  his  lusts,  was  for  contriving  that 
God  might  be  served,  and  he  enjoy  his  lusts  that  were  gratified  by 
the  slavery  of  the  people.  Moses  insisted  that  Israel's  God  should 
be  served  and  sacrificed  to:  Pharaoh  was  willing  to  consent  to 
that;  but  would  have  it  done  without  his  parting  with  the  people; 
"  Go  sacrifice  to  your  God  in  the  land,"  says  he,  Exod.  viii.  25. 
So,  many  sinners  are  for  contriving  to  serve  God,  and  enjoy  their 
lusts  too.  Moses  objected  against  complying  with  Pharaoh's  pro- 
posal, that  serving  God,  and  yet  continuing  in  Egypt  under  their 
taskmasters,  did  not  agree  together,  and  were  inconsistent  one  witli 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  367 

another;  (there  is  no  serving  God,  and  continuing  slaves  to  such 
enemies  of  God  at  the  same  time.)  After  this  Pharaoh  consented 
to  let  the  people  go,  provided  they  would  not  go  far  away:  he  was 
not  willing  to  part  with  them  Hnally,  and  therefore  would  have 
them  within  reach.  So  do  many  hypocrites  with  respect  to  their 
sins.  Afterwards  Pharaoh  consented  to  let  the  men  go,  if  they 
would  leave  the  women  and  children,  Exod.  x.  8,  9,  10.  And 
then  after  that,  when  God's  hand  was  yet  harder  upon  him,  he 
consented  they  should  go,  even  women  and  children,  as  well  as 
men,  provided  they  would  leave  their  cattle  behind?  But  he  was 
not  willing  to  let  them  go,  and  all  that  they  had,  Exod.  x.  24. 
So  it  oftentimes  is  with  sinners;  they  are  willing  to  part  with  some 
of  their  sins,  but  not  all;  they  are  brought  to  part  with  the  more 
gross  acts  of  sin,  but  not  to  part  with  their  lusts,  in  lesser  indul- 
gencies  of  them.  Whereas  we  must  part  with  all  our  sins,  little 
and  great;  and  all  that  belongs  to  them,  men,  women,  children, 
and  cattle;  they  must  be  let  go,  with  "  their  young,  and  with 
their  old,  with  their  sons,  and  with  their  daughters,  with 
their  flocks,  and  with  their  herds,  there  must  not  be  an  hoof 
left  behind;"  as  Moses  told  Pharaoh,  with  respect  to  the 
children  of  Israel.  At  last,  when  it  came  to  extremity,  Pharaoh 
consented  to  let  the  people  all  go,  and  all  that  they  had;  but 
he  was  not  steadfastly  of  that  mind,  he  soon  repented  and  pursued 
after  them  again,  and  the  reason  was,  that  those  lusts  of  pride 
and  covetousness,  that  were  gratified  by  Pharaoh's  dominion  over 
the  people,  and  the  gains  of  his  service,  were  never  really  mortified 
in  him,  but  only  violently  restrained.  And  thus,  being  guilty  of 
backsliding,  after  his  seeming  compliance  with  God's  commands, 
he  was  destroyed  without  remedy.  Thus  there  may  be  a  forced 
parting  with  ways  of  disobedience  to  the  commands  of  God,  that 
may  seem  to  be  universal,  as  to  what  appears  for  a  little  season; 
but  because  it  is  a  mere  force,  without  the  mortification  of  the 
inward  principle  of  sin,  they  will  not  persevere  in  it;  but  will  re- 
turn as  the  dog  to  his  vomit;  and  so  bring  on  themselves  dreadful 
and  remediless  destruction.  There  were  many  false  disciples  in 
Christ's  time,  that  followed  him  for  awhile;  but  none  of  them  fol- 


368  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

lowed  him  to  the  end;  but  some  on  one  occasion,  and  some  on 
another,  went  back  and  walked  no  more  with  him.f 

From  what  has  been  said,  it  is  manifest,  that  christian  practice, 
or  a  holy  life,  is  a  great  and  distinguishing  sign  of  true  and  saving 
grace.  But  I  may  go  farther,  and  assert,  that  it  is  the  chief  of 
all  the  signs  of  grace,  both  as  an  evidence  of  the  sincerity  of  pro- 
fessors unto  others,  and  also  to  their  own  consciences. 

But  then  it  is  necessary  that  this  be  rightly  taken,  and  that  it 

■}■  "  The  counterfeit  and  common  grace  of  foolish  virgins,  after  some  time 
of  glorious  profession,  will  certainly  go  out  and  be  quite  spent.  It  consumes 
in  the  using,  and  shining,  and  burning. — Men  that  have  been  most  forward, 
decay;  their  gifts  decay,  life  decays.  It  is  so,  aftei*  some  time  of  profession  : 
for  at  first,  it  rather  grows  than  decays  and  withers;  but  afterwards  they 
have  enough  of  it,  it  withers  and  dies.  The  Spirit  of  God  comes  upon  many 
hypocrites,  in  abundant  and  plentiful  measure  of  awakening  grace:  it  comes 
upon  them,  as  it  did  upon  Balaam,  and  as  it  is  in  overflowing  waters,  which 
spread  far,  and  grow  very  deep,  and  fill  many  empty  places.  Though  it 
doth  come  upon  ihem  so  yet  it  doth  never  rest  within,  so  as  to  dwell  there, 

to  take  up  an  eternal  mansion  for  himself- Hence  it  doth  decay  by  little 

and  little,  until  at  last  it  is  quite  gone.  As  ponds  filled  with  rain  water, 
which  comes  upon  them;  not  spring  water,  that  riseth  up  within  them;  it 
dries  up  by  little  and  little,  until  quite  dry."  SheparcVs  Parable,  Part  II, 
p.  58,  59. 

"  Some  men  may  apprehend  Christ,  neither  out  of  fear  of  misery,  nor 
only  to  preserve  some  sin;  but  God  lets  in  light  and  heat  of  the  blessed 
beams  of  the  glorious  gospel  of  the  Son  of  God;  and  therefore  there  is 
mercy,  rich,  free,  sweet,  for  damned,  great,  vile  sinners:  good  Lord,  saith 
the  soul,  what  a  sweet  ministrj-,  word,  God,  and  gospel  is  this!  and  there 
rests.  This  was  the  frame  of  the  stony  ground;  which  heard  tiie  word,  and 
received  it  with  joy,  and  for  a  time  believed.  And  this  is  the  case  of  thou- 
sands, that  are  much  affected  with  the  promise  and  mercy  of  Christ,  and 
hang  upon  free  grace  for  a  time;  but  as  it  is  with  sweet  smells  in  a  room, 
they  continue  not  long;  or  as  flowers,  they  grow  old  and  withered,  and  then 
fall.  In  time  of  temptation,  lust,  and  world,  and  sloth  is  more  sweet  than 
Christ,  and  all  his  gospel  is."     Ibid.  Part  II.  p.  168. 

"Never  any  carnal  heai't,but  some  root  of  bitterness  did  grow  up  at  last 
in  this  soil."     Ibid.  Part  L  p.  195. 

*•  We  shall  see  in  experience;  take  the  be.st  professors  living;  though  they 
may  come,  as  they  and  others  judged,  to  the  Lord,  and  follow  the  Lord;  yet 
they  will  in  time  depart.  Tiie  Spirit  never  was  given  effectually  to  draw 
them;  nor  yet  to  beep  them."     Ibid.  Part  I.  p.  205, 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  369 

be  well  understood  and  observed,  in  what  sense  and  manner 
christian  practice  is  the  greatest  sign  of  grace.  Therefore  to  set 
this  matter  in  a  clear  light,  I  will  endeavour  particularly  and  dis- 
tinctly to  prove,  that  christian  practice  is  the  principal  sign  by 
"ivhich  Christians  are  to  judge,  both  of  their  own  and  others'  sin- 
cerity and  godliness;  withal  observing  some  things  that  are  need- 
ful to  be  particularly  noted,  in  order  to  a  right  understanding  of 
this  matter. 

1.  I  shall  consider  christian  practice,  and  an  holy  life,  as  a 
manifestation  and  sign  of  the  sincerity  of  a  professing  Christian, 
to  the  eye  of  his  neighbours  and  brethren. 

And  that  this  is  the  chief  sign  of  grace  in  this  respect,  is  very 
evident  from  the  word  of  God.  Christ,  who  knew  best  how  to 
give  us  rules  to  judge  of  others,  has  repeated  it  and  inculcated  it, 
that  we  should  know  them  by  their  fruits,  Matth.  vii.  16,  "  Ye 
shall  know  them  by  their  fruits."  And  then,  after  arguing  the 
point,  and  giving  clear  reasons  why  it  must  needs  be,  that  mens 
fruits  must  be  the  chief  evidence  of  what  sort  they  are,  in  the  fol- 
lowing verses,  he  closes  by  repeating  the  assertion,  verse  20, 
"  Wherefore  by  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them."  Again,  chap, 
xii.  33,  "  Either  make  the  tree  good,  and  his  fruit  good;  or  else 
make  the  tree  corrupt,  and  his  fruit  corrupt."  As  much  as  to 
say,  it  is  a  very  absurd  thing,  for  any  to  suppose  that  the  tree  is 
good  and  yet  the  fruit  bad,  that  the  tree  is  of  one  sort,  and  the 
fruit  of  another;  for  the  proper  evidence  of  the  nature  of  the  tree 
is  its  fruit.  Nothing  else  can  be  intended  by  that  last  clause  in 
the  verse,  "  For  the  tree  is  known  by  its  fruit,"  than  that  the 
tree  is  chiefly  known  by  its  fruit,  that  this  is  the  main  and  most 
proper  diagnostic  by  which  one  tree  is  distinguished  from  an- 
other. So  Luke  vi.  44,  "  Every  tree  is  known  by  his  own 
fruit."  Christ  no  where  says,  Ye  shall  know  the  tree  by  its 
leaves  or  flowers,  or  ye  shall  know  men  by  their  talk,  or  ye  shall 
know  them  by  the  good  story  they  tell  of  their  experiences,  or  ye 
shall  know  them  by  the  manner  and  air  of  their  speaking,  and 
emphasis  and  pathos  of  expression,  or  by  their  speaking  feel- 
JMgly,  or  by  making  a  very  great  show  by  abundance  of  talk,  or 


370  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

by  many  tears  and  affectionate  expressions,  or  by  the  affections 
ve  feel  in  your  hearts  towards  them;  but  by  their  fruits  shall 
ye  know  them;  the  tree  is  known  by  its  fruit;  every  tree  is 
known  by  its  own  fruit.  And  as  this  is  the  evidence  that 
Christ  has  directed  us  mainly  to  look  at  in  others,  in  judging 
of  tbem,  so  it  is  the  evidence  that  Christ  has  mainly  directed 
us  to  give  to  others,  whereby  they  may  judge  of  us,  Matth. 
V.  16,  "  Let  your  light  so  shine  before  men,  that  others  see- 
ing your  good  works,  may  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in 
heaven."  Here  Christ  directs  us  to  manifest  our  godliness  to 
others.  Godliness  is  as  it  were  a  light  that  shines  in  the  soul. 
Christ  directs  that  this  light  not  only  shine  within,  but  that  it 
should  shine  out  before  men,  thai  they  may  see  it.  But  which 
way  shall  this  be?  It  is  by  our  good  works.  Christ  doth  not  say, 
that  others  hearing  your  good  works,  your  good  story,  or  your  pa- 
thetical  expressions;  but  "  that  others,  seeing  your  good  works, 
may  glorify  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven."  Doubtless,  when 
Christ  gives  us  a  rule  how  to  make  our  light  shine,  that  others 
may  have  evidence  of  it,  his  rule  is  the  best  that  is  to  be  found. 
And  the  apostles  do  mention  christian  practice  as  the  principal 
ground  of  their  esteem  of  persons  as  true  Christians.  As  the 
apostle  Paul,  in  the  6th  chapter  of  Hebrews.  There  the  apostle, 
in  the  beginning  of  the  chapter,  speaks  of  them  that  have  great 
common  illuminations,  that  have  "  been  enlightened,  and  have 
tasted  of  the  heavenly  gift,  and  were  made  partakers  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  have  tasted  the  good  word  of  God,  and  the  powers  of 
the  world  to  come,  that  afterwards  fall  away,  and  are  like  bar- 
ren ground,  that  is  nigh  unto  cursing,  whose  end  is  to  be  burned;" 
and  then  immediately  adds  in  the  9th  verse  (expressing  his  cha- 
rity for  the  Christian  Hebrews,  as  having  that  saving  grace, 
which  is  better  than  all  these  common  illuminations)  "  but  be- 
loved, we  are  persuaded  better  things  of  you,  and  things  that  ac- 
company salvation,  though  we  thus  speak."  And  then,  in  the 
next  verse,  he  tells  them  what  was  the  reason  he  had  such  good 
thoughts  of  them:  he  does  not  say  that  it  was  because  they  had 
given  him  a  good  account  of  a  work  of  God  upon  their  souls,  and 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  371 

talked  very  experimentally;  but  it  was  their  work  and  labour  of 
love;  "  for  God  is  not  unrighteous,  to  forget  your  work  and  la- 
bour of  love,  which  ye  have  showed  towards  his  name,  in  that  ye 
have  ministered  to  the  saints,  and  do  minister."  And  the  same 
apostle  speaks  of  a  faithful  serving  of  God  in  practice,  as  the  pro- 
per proof  to  others  of  mens  loving  Christ  above  all,  and  pre- 
ferring his  honour  to  their  private  interest;  Phil.  ii.  21,22, 
"  For  all  seek  their  own,  not  the  things  which  are  Jesus  Christ's; 
but  ye  know  the  proof  of  him,  that  as  a  son  with  the  Father,  he 
hath  served  with  me  in  the  gospel."  So  the  apostle  John  ex- 
presses the  same,  as  the  ground  of  his  good  opinion  of  Gaius, 
3  John  3 — 6,  "  For  I  rejoiced  greatly  when  the  brethren  came 
and  testified  of  the  truth  that  is  in  thee."  But  how  did  the  bre- 
thren testify  of  the  truth  that  was  in  Gaius?  And  how  did  the 
apostle  judge  of  the  truth  that  was  in  him?  It  was  not  because 
they  testified  that  he  had  given  them  a  good  account  of  the  steps 
of  his  experiences,  and  talked  like  one  that  ftit  what  he  said,  and 
had  the  very  language  of  a  Christian:  but  they  testified,  "  that 
he  walked  in  the  truth;  as  it  follows,  even  as  thou  walkest  in  the 
truth.  I  have  no  greater  joy  than  to  hear  that  my  children  walk 
in  the  truth.  Beloved,  thou  dost  faithfully  whatsoever  thou  dost 
to  the  brethren  and  to  strangers;  which  have  borne  witness  of  thy 
charity  before  the  church."  Thus  the  apostle  explains  what  the 
brethren  had  borne  witness  of,  when  they  came  and  testified  of 
his  walking  in  the  truth.  And  the  apostle  seems  in  this  same 
place,  to  give  it  as  a  rule  to  Gaius  how  he  should  judge  of  others; 
in  verse  10,  he  mentions  one  Diotrephes,  that  did  not  carry  him- 
self well,  and  led  away  others  after  him;  and  then  in  the  11th 
verse,  he  directs  Gaius  to  beware  of  such,  and  not  to  follow 
them;  and  gives  him  a  rule  whereby  he  may  know  them,  exactly 
agreeable  to  that  rule  Christ  had  given  before,  "  by  their  fruits 
ye  shall  know  them;"  says  the  apostle,  "  beloved,  follow  not  that 
which  is  evil,  but  that  which  is  good.  He  that  doth  good,  is  of 
God;  but  he  that  doth  evil,  hath  not  seen  God."  And  I  would 
further  observe,  that  the  apostle  James,  expressly  comparing 
that  way  of  showing  others  our  faith  and  Christianity  by  our 


372  TWELFTH  SIGN  OP 

practice  or  works,  with  other  ways  of  showing  our  faith  without 
works,  or  not  by  works,  does  plainly  and  abundantly  prefer  the 
former;  James  ii.  18,  "  Yea,  a  man  may  say,  thou  hast  faith, 
and  I  have  works;  show  me  thy  faith  without  thy , works,  and  I 
will  show  thee  my  faith  by  my  works."  A  manifestation  of  our 
faith  without  works,  or  in  a  way  diverse  from  works,  is  a  mani- 
festation of  it  in  words,  whereby  a  man  professes  faith.  As  the 
apostle  says,  verse  14,  "  What  doth  it  profit,  my  brethren,  though 
a  man  may  sjiy  he  hath  faith?"  Therefore  here  are  two  ways  of 
manifesting  to  our  neighbour  what  is  in  our  hearts;  one  by  what 
we  say,  and  the  other  by  what  we  do.  But  the  apostle  abun- 
dantly prefers  the  latter  as  the  best  evidence.  Now  certainly  all 
accounts  we  give  of  ourselves  in  words,  our  saying  that  we  have 
faith,  and  that  we  are  converted,  and  telling  the  manner  how  we 
came  to  have  faith,  and  the  steps  by  which  it  was  wrought,  and 
the  discoveries  and  experiences  that  accompany  it,  are  still  but 
manifesting  our  faith  by  what  we  say;  it  is  but  showing  our  faith 
by  our  words;  which  the  apostle  speaks  of  as  falling  vastly  short 
of  manifesting  of  it  by  what  we  do,  and  showing  our  faith  by  our 
works. 

And  as  the  scripture  plainly  teaches,  that  practice  is  the  best 
evidence  of  the  sincerity  of  professing  Christians;  so  reason  teach- 
es the  same  thing.  Reason  shows,  that  mens  deeds  are  better  and 
more  faithful  interpreters  of  their  minds,  than  their  words.  The 
common  sense  of  all  mankind,  through  all  ages  and  nations,  teach- 
es them  to  judge  of  mens  hearts  chiefly  by  their  practice,  in  other 
matters;  as,  whether  a  man  be  a  loyal  subject,  a  true  lover,  a  du- 
tiful child,  or  a  faithful  servant.  If  a  man  profess  a  great  deal  of 
love  and  friendship  to  another,  reason  teaches  all  men,  that  such 
a  profession  is  not  so  great  an  evidence  of  his  being  a  real  and 
hearty  friend,  as  his  appearing  a  friend  in  deeds;  being  faithful 
and  constant  to  his  friend  in  prosperity  and  adversity,  ready  to  lay 
out  himself,  and  deny  himself,  and  suffer  in  his  personal  interest, 
to  do  him  a  kindness.  A  wise  man  will  trust  to  such  evidences 
of  the  sincerity  of  friendship,  further  than  a  thousand  earnest  pro- 
fessions and  solemn  declarations,  and  most  affectionate  expressions 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  378 

#f  friendship  in  words.  And  there  is  equal  reasoo,  why  practice 
should  also  be  looked  upon  as  the  best  evidence  of  friendship  to- 
wards Christ.  Reason  says  the  same  that  Christ  said,  in  John 
xiv.  21,  "  He  that  hath  my  commandments,  and  keepeth  them, 
he  it  is  that  loveth  me."  Thus  if  we  see  a  man,  who  in  the  course 
of  his  life  seems  to  follow  and  imitate  Christ,  and  greatly  to  ex- 
ert and  deny  himself  for  the  honour  of  Christ,  and  to  promote  his 
kingdom  and  interest  in  the  world;  reason  teaches,  that  this  is  an 
evidence  of  love  to  Christ,  more  to  be  depended  on,  than  if  a  man 
only  says  he  has  love  to  Christ,  and  tells  of  the  inward  experiences 
he  has  had  of  love  to  him,  what  strong  love  he  felt,  and  how  his 
heart  was  drawn  out  in  love  at  such  and  such  a  time,  when  it  may 
be  there  appears  but  little  imitation  of  Christ  in  his  behaviour, 
and  he  seems  backward  to  do  any  greater  matter  for  him,  or  to 
put  himself  out  of  his  way  for  the  promoting  of  his  kingdom,  but 
seems  to  be  apt  to  excuse  himself,  whenever  he  is  called  to  deny 
himself  for  Christ.  So  if  a  man,  in  declaring  his  experiences,  tells 
how  he  found  his  heart  weaned  from  the  world,  and  saw  the  vanity 
of  it,  so  that  all  looked  as  nothing  to  him,  at  such  and  such  times, 
and  professes  that  he  gives  up  all  to  God,  and  calls  heaven  and 
earth  to  witness  to  it;  but  yet  in  his  practice  is  violent  in  pursuing 
the  world,  and  what  he  gets  he  keeps  close,  is  exceeding  loath  to 
part  with  much  of  it  to  charitable  and  pious  uses,  it  comes  from 
him  almost  like  his  heart's  blood.  But  there  is  another  profess- 
ing Christian,  that  says  not  a  great  deal,  yet  in  his  behaviour  ap- 
pears ready  at  all  times  to  forsake  the  world,  whenever  it  stands 
in  the  way  of  his  duty,  and  is  free  to  part  with  it  at  any  time,  to 
promote  religion  and  the  good  of  his  fellow  creatures.  Reason 
teaches  that  the  latter  gives  far  the  most  credible  manifestation  of 
a  heart  weaned  from  the  world.  And  if  a  man  appears  to  walk 
humbly  before  God  and  men,  and  to  be  of  a  conversation  that 
savours  of  a  broken  heart,  appearing  patient  and  resigned  to  God 
under  affliction,  and  meek  in  his  behaviour  amongst  men;  this 
is  a  better  evidence  of  humiliation,  than  if  a  person  only  tells 
how  great  a  sense  he  had  of  his  own  unworthiness,  how  he  was 
brought  to  lie  in  the  dust,  and  was  quite  emptied  of  himself,  and 
3a 


874  TWELFTH  SIGN    OF' 

see  himself  nothing  and  all  over  filthy  and  abominahIc,.&c.  ike. 
but  yet  acts  as  if  he  looked  upon  himself  one  of  the  first  and  best  of 
saints,  and  by  just  right  the  head  of  all  the  Christians  in  the  town, 
and  is  assuming,  self-willed,  and  impatient  of  the  least  contradic- 
tion or  opposition;  we  may  be  assured  in  such  a  case,  that  a  man's 
practice  comes  from  a  lower  place  in  his  heart  than  his  profes- 
sion. So  (to  mention  no  more  instances)  if  a  professor  of  Chris- 
tianity manifests  in  his  behaviour  a  pitiful  tender  spirit  towards 
others  in  calamity,  ready  to  bear  their  burdens  with  them,  Avilling 
to  spend  his  substance  for  them,  and  to  suffer  many  inconveniences 
in  his  worldly  interest  to  promote  the  good  of  others'  souls  and 
bodies;  is  not  this  a  more  credible  manifestation  of  a  spirit  of  love 
to  men,  than  only  a  man's  telling  what  love  he  felt  to  others  at 
certain  times,  how  he  pitied  their  souls,  how  his  soul  was  in  travail 
for  them,  and  how  he  felt  a  heart}'  love  and  pity  to  his  enemies; 
when  in  his  behaviour  he  seems  to  be  of  a  very  selfish  spirit,  close 
and  niggardly,  all  for  himself,  and  none  for  his  neighbours,  and 
perhaps  envious  and  contentious?  Persons  in  a  pang  of  affection 
may  think  they  have  a  willingness  of  heart  for  great  things,  to  do 
much  and  to  suffer  much,  and  so  may  profess  it  very  earnestly  and 
confidently,  when  really  their  hearts  are  far  from  it.  Thus  many 
in  their  affectionate  pangs,  have  thought  themselves  willing  to  be 
damned  eternally  for  the  glory  of  God.  Passing  affections  easily 
produce  words;  and  words  are  cheap;  and  godliness  is  more  easily 
feigned  in  words  than  in  actions.  Christian  practice  is  a  costly, 
laborious  thing.  The  self-denial  that  is  required  of  Christians, 
and  the  narrowness  of  the  way  that  leads  to  life,  does  not  consist 
in  words,  but  in  practice.  Hypocrites  may  much  more  easily  be 
brought  to  talk  like  saints,  than  to  act  like  saints. 

Thus  it  is  plain,  that  christian  practice  is  the  best  sign  or  mani- 
festation of  the  true  godliness  of  a  professing  Christian,  to  the  eye 
of  his  neighbours. 

But  then  the  following  thing  should  be  well  observed,  that  this 
matter  may  be  rightly  understood. 

First,  it  must  be  observed,  that  when  the  scripture  speaks  of 
christian  practice,  as  the  best  evidence  to  otiiers.  of  sincerity  and 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  375 

ITUth  of  grace,  a  profession  of  Christianity  is  not  excluded,  but 
supposed.  The  rules  mentioned,  were  rules  given  to  the  follow- 
ers of  Christ,  to  guide  them  in  their  thoughts  of  professing  Chris- 
tians, and  those  that  offered  themselves  as  some  of  their  society, 
whereby  they  might  judge  of  the  truth  of  their  pretences,  and  the 
sincerity  of  the  profession  they  made;  and  not  for  the  trial  of 
heathens,  or  those  that  made  no  pretence  to  Christianity,  and  that 
Christians  had  nothing  to  do  with.  This  is  as  plain  as  is  possible 
in  tliat  great  rule  which  Christ  gives  in  the  7th  of  Matthew,  "  By 
their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them."  He  there  gives  a  rule  how  to 
judge  of  those  that  professed  to  be  Christians,  yea  that  made  a 
very  high  profession,  false  prophets,  "who  come  in  sheep's  cloth- 
ing," as  ver.  15.  So  it  is  also  with  that  of  the  apostle  James, 
chapter  ii.  18,  "  Show  me  thy  faith  without  thy  works,  and  I  will 
show  thee  my  faith  by  my  works."  It  is  evident,  that  both  these 
sorts  of  persons,  offering  to  give  these  diverse  evidences  of  their 
faith,  are  professors  of  faith:  this  is  implied  in  their  offering  each 
of  them  to  give  evidences  of  the  faith  they  professed.  And  it  is 
evident  by  the  preceding  verses,  that  the  apostle  is  speaking  of 
professors  of  faith  in  Jesus  Christ.  So  it  is  very  plain,  that  the 
apostle  John,  in  those  passages  that  have  been  observed  in  his 
third  epistle,  is  speaking  of  professing  Christians.  Though  in  these 
rules,  the  christian  practice  of  professors  be  spoken  of  as  the  great- 
est and  most  distinguishing  sign  of  their  sincerity  in  their  profes- 
sion, much  more  evidential  than  their  profession  itself;  yet  a  pro- 
fession of  Christianity  is  plainly  presupposed:  it  is  not  the  main 
thing  in  the  evidence,  nor  any  thing  distinguishing  in  it;  yet  it  is 
a  thing  requisite  and  necessaiy  in  it.  As  the  having  an  animal 
body,  is  not  any  thing  distinguishing  of  a  man  from  other  crea- 
Uu'es,  and  is  not  the  main  thing  in  the  evidence  of  human  nature, 
yet  it  is  a  thing  requisite  and  necessary  in  the  evidence.  So  that 
if  any  man  should  say  plainly  that  he  was  not  a  Christian,  and  did 
Hot  believe  that  Jesus  was  the  Son  of  God,  or  a  person  sent  of 
God;  these  rules  of  Christ  and  his  apostles  do  not  at  all  oblige  us 
to  look  upon  him  as  a  sincere  Christian,  let  his  visible  practice 
and  virtues  be  what  they  will.     And  not  only  do  these  rules  tal?e 


olii  tWELFTH   SIGN   OF 

no  place  with  respect  to  a  man  that  explicitly  denies  Christianity, 
and  is  a  professed  Deist,  Jew,  Heathen,  or  open  Infidel;  but  also 
with  respect  to  a  man  that  only  forbears  to  make  a  profession  of 
Christianity;  because  these  rules  were  given  us  to  judge  of  pro- 
fessing Christians  only:  fruits  must  be  joined  with  open  flowers; 
bells  and  pomegranates  go  together. 

But  here  will  naturally  arise  this  inquiry,  viz.  when  may  a 
man  be  said  to  profess  Christianity,  or  what  profession  may  pro- 
perly be  called  a  profession  of  Christianity? 

I  answer  in  two  things. 

I .  In  order  to  a  man's  being  properly  said  to  make  a  profes- 
sion of  Christianity,  there  must  undoubtedly  be  a  profession  of  all 
that  is  necessary  to  his  being  a  Christian,  or  of  so  much  as  be- 
longs to  the  essence  of  Christianity.  Whatsoever  is  essential  in 
Christianity  itself,  the  profession  of  that  is  essential  in  the  profes- 
sion of  Christianity.  The  profession  must  be  of  the  thing  pro- 
fessed. For  a  man  to  profess  Christianity,  is  for  him  to  declare 
that  he  has  it.  And  therefore  so  much  as  belongs  to  a  thing,  so  as 
to  be  necessary  in  order  to  its  being  truly  denominated  that  thing; 
so  much  is  essential  to  the  declaration  of  that  thing,  in  order  to 
its  being  truly  denominated  a  declaration  of  that  thing.  If  we 
take  only  a  part  of  Christianity,  and  leave  out  a  part  that  is  es- 
sential to  it,  what  we  take  is  not  Christianity;  because  something 
that  is  of  the  essence  of  it  is  wanting.  So  if  we  profess  only  a 
part,  and  leave  out  a  part  that  is  essential,  that  which  we  profess 
is  not  Christianity.  Thus,  in  order  to  a  profession  of  Christianity, 
we  must  profess  that  we  believe  that  Jesus  is  the  Messiah;  for 
this  reason,  because  such  a  belief  is  essential  to  Christianity.  And 
so  we  must  profess,  either  expressly  or  implicitly,  that  Jesus  sat- 
isfied for  our  sins,  and  other  essential  doctrines  of  the  gospel,  be- 
cause a  belief  of  these  things  also  is  essential  to  Christianity.  But 
there  are  other  things  as  essential  to  religion  as  an  orthodox  be- 
lief; which  it  is  therefore  as  necessary  that  we  should  profess,  in 
order  to  our  being  truly  said  to  profess  Christianity.  Thus  it  is 
essential  to  Christianity  that  we  repent  of  our  sins,  that  we  be  con- 
vinced of  our  own  sinfulness,  and  that  we  are  sensible  we  have 


GRACIOUS   AFFECTIONS.  STi 

justly  exposed  ourselves  to  God's  wrath,  and  that  our  hearts  do  re- 
nounce all  sin,  and  that  we  do  with  our  whole  hearts  embrace  Christ 
as  our  only  Saviour;  and  that  we  love  him  above  all,  and  are  willing 
for  his  sake  to  forsake  all,  and  that  we  do  give  up  ourselves  to  be 
entirely  and  forever  his,  &.c.  Such  things  as  these  do  as  mucb 
belong  to  the  essence  of  Christianit}-,  as  the  belief  of  any  of  the 
doctrines  of  the  gospel:  and  therefore  the  profession  of  them  does 
as  much  belong  to  a  christian  profession.  Not  that  in  order  to  a 
being  professing  Christians,  it  is  necessary  that  there  should  be  an 
explicit  profession  of  every  individual  thing  that  belongs  to  chris- 
tian grace  or  virtue:  but  certainly  there  must  be  a  profession, 
either  express  or  implicit,  of  what  is  of  the  essence  of  religion. 
And  as  to  those  things  that  Christians  should  express  in  their  pro- 
fession, we  ought  to  be  guided  by  the  precepts  of  God's  word,  or 
by  scripture  examples  of  public  professions  of  religion,  God's  peo- 
ple have  made  from  time  to  time.  Thus  they  ought  to  profess 
their  repentance  of  sin:  as  of  old,  when  persons  were  initiated  as 
professors,  they  came  confessing  their  sins,  manifesting  their  hu- 
miliation for  sin.  Matt.  iii.  6.  And  the  baptism  they  were  bap- 
tized with,  was  called  the  baptism  of  repentance,  Mark  i.  3.  And 
John,  when  he  had  baptized  them,  exhorted  them  to  bring  forth 
■fruits  meet  for  repentance.  Matt.  iii.  8;  i.  e.  agreeable  to  that  re- 
pentance which  they  had  professed;  encouraging  them  that  if  they 
did  so,  they  should  escape  the  wrath  to  come,  and  be  gathered  as 
wheat  into  God's  garner.  Matt.  iii.  7,  8,  9,  10,  12.  So  the  apos- 
tle Peter  says  to  the  Jews,  Acts.  ii.  38,  "  Repent,  and  be  bap- 
tized:" which  shows  that  repentance  is  a  qualification  that  must 
be  visible  in  order  to  baptism;  and  therefore  ought  to  be  publicly 
professed.  So  when  the  Jews  that  returned  from  captivity,  en- 
tered publicly  into  covenant,  it  was  with  confession,  or  public 
confession  of  repentance  of  their  sins,  Neh.  ix.  2.  This  profession 
of  repentance  should  include  or  imply  a  confession  of  conviction, 
that  God  would  be  just  in  our  damnation:  see  Neh.  ix.  33,  to- 
gether with  verse  35,  and  the  beginning  of  the  next  chapter. 
They  should  profess  their  faith  in  Jesus  Christ,  and  that  they  em- 
brace Christ,  and  rely  upon  him  as  their  Saviour,  with  their 


378  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

whole  hearts,  and  that  they  do  joyfully  entertain  the  gospel  of 
Christ.  Thus  Philip,  in  order  to  baptizing  the  eunuch,  required 
that  he  should  profess  that  he  believed  with  all  his  heart:  and  they 
that  were  received  as  visible  Christians,  at  that  great  outpouring 
of  the  Spirit,  which  began  at  the  day  of  Pentecost,  appeared  glad- 
ly to  receive  the  gospel.  Acts  ii.  41,  "  Then  they  that  gladly  re- 
ceived the  word,  were  baptized:  and  the  same  day  there  were  add- 
ed unto  them  about  three  thousand  souls."  They  should  pro- 
fess that  they  rely  on  Christ's  righteousness  only,  and  strength; 
and  that  they  are  devoted  to  him,  as  their  only  Lord  and  Saviour, 
and  that  they  rejoice  in  him  as  their  only  righteousness  and  j^or- 
tioni  It  is -foretold,  that  all  nations  shall  be  brought  publicly  to 
make  this  profession,  Isa.  xlv.  32,  to  the  end:  "  Look  unto  me, 
and  be  ye  saved,  all  the  ends  of  the  earth;  for  I  am  God,  and  there 
is  none  else.  I  have  sworn  by  myself;  the  word  is  gone  out  of 
my  mouth  in  righteousness,  and  shall  not  return,  that  unto  me 
every  knee  shall  bow,  every  tongue  shall  swear.  Surely  shall 
one  say.  In  the  Lord  have  I  righteousness  and  strength;  even  to 
him  shall  men  come,  and  all  that  are  incensed  against  him  shall 
be  ashamed.  In  the  Lord  shall  all  the  seed  of  Israel  be  justified, 
and  shall  glory."  They  shall  profess  to  give  up  themselves  entire- 
ly to  Christ,  and  to  God  through  him;  as  the  children  of  Israel, 
when  they  publicly  recognized  their  covenant  with  God,  Deut. 
xxvi.  17,  "  Thou  hast  avouched  the  Lord  this  day  to  be  thy  God, 
and  to  walk  in  his  ways,  and  to  keep  his  statutes,  and  his  com- 
mandments, and  his  judgments,  and  to  hearken  unto  his  voice." 
They  ought  to  profess  a  willingness  of  heart  to  embrace  religion 
with  all  its  difficulties,  and  to  walk  in  a  way  of  obedience  to  God 
universally  and  perseveringly,  Exod.  xix.  8,  and  xxiv.  3,  7,  Deut, 
xxvi.  16,  17,  18,  2  Kings  xxiii.  3,  Neh.  x.  28,  29,  Psal.  cxix. 
57,  106.  They  ought  to  profess  that  all  their  hearts  and  souls 
are  in  these  engagements  to  be  the  Lord's,  and  for  ever  to  serve 
him,  2  Chron.  xv.  12,  13,  14.  God's  people  swearing  to  God, 
and  swearing  by  his  name,  or  to  his  name,  as  it  might  be  render- 
ed, (by  which  seems  to  be  signified  their  solemnly  giving  up  them- 
selves to  him  in  covenant,  and  vowing  to  receive  him  as  their 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  379 

God,  and  to  be  entirely  his,  to  obey  and  serve  him)  is  spoken  of 
as  a  duty  to  be  performed  by  all  God's  visible  Israel,  Deut.  vi. 
13,  and  x.  20,  Psal.  Ixiii,  11,  Isa.  xix.  18,''chap.  xlv.  23,  24, 
compared  with  Rom.  xiv.  11,  and  Phil,  ii,  10,  11,  Isa.  xlviii.  1, 
2,  and  Ixv.  15,  16,  Jer.  iv.  2,  and  v.  7,  and  xii.  16,  Hos.  iv.  15, 
and  X.  4.  Therefore,  in  order  to  persons'  being  entitled  to  full 
esteem  and  charity  with  their  neighbours,  as  being  sincere  pro- 
fessors of  Christianity;  by  those  forementioned  rules  of  Christ  and 
his  apostles,  there  must  be  a  visibly  holy  life,  with  a  profession, 
or  plainly  implying  such  things  as  those  which  have  been  now 
mentioned.  We  are  to  know  them  by  their  fruits,  that  is,  we  are 
by  their  fruits  to  know  whether  they  be  what  they  proftss  to  be; 
not  that  we  are  to  know  by  their  fruits,  that  they  have  something 
in  them,  they  do  not  so  much  as  pretend  to. 

And  moreover, 

2.  That  profession  of  these  things,  which  is  properly  called  a 
christian  profession,  and  which  must  be  joined  with  christian 
practice,  in  order  to  persons  being  entitled  to  the  benefit  of  those 
rules,  must  be  made  (as  to  what  appears)  understandingly:  that 
is,  they  must  be  persons  that  appear  to  have  been  so  far  instructed 
in  the  principles  of  religion,  as  to  be  in  an  ordinary  capacity  to 
understand  the  proper  import  of  what  is  expressed  in  their  pro- 
fession. For  sounds  are  no  significations  or  declarations  6f  any 
thing,  any  further  than  men  understand  the  meaning  of  their  own 
sounds. 

But  in  order  to  persons  making  a  proper  profession  of  Christi- 
anity, such  as  the  scripture  directs  to,  and  such  as  the  followers  of 
Christ  should  require,  in  order  to  the  acceptance  of  the  professors 
with  full  charity,  as  of  their  society;  it  is  not  necessary  they 
should  give  an  account  of  the  particular  steps  and  method,  bv 
which  the  Holy  Spirit,  sensibly  to  them,  wrought  and  brought 
about  those  great  essential  things  of  Christianity  in  their  hearts. 
There  is  no  footstep  in  the  scripture  of  any  such  way  of  the  apostles, 
or  primitive  ministers  and  Christians,  requiring  any  such  relation, 
in  order  to  their  receiving  and  treating  others  as  their  christian 
brethren,  to  all  intents  and  purposes,  or  of  their  first  examining 


380  rVt^ELFTH  SIGN  OF 

them,  concerning  the  particular  method  and  order  of  their  expe- 
riences. They  required  of  them  a  profession  of  the  things  wrought; 
but  no  account  of  the  manner  of  working  was  required  of  them. 
Nor  is  there  the  least  shadow  in  the  scripture  of  any  such  cus- 
tom in  the  church  of  God,  from  Adam  to  the  death  of  the  apostle 
John. 

I  am  far  from  saying,  that  it  is  not  requisite  that  persons  should 
give  any  sort  of  account  of  their  experiences  to  their  brethren. 
For  persons  to  profess  those  things  wherein  the  essence  of  Christi- 
anity lies,  is  the  same  thing  as  to  profess  that  they  experience 
those  things.  Thus  for  persons  solemnly  to  profess,  that,  in  a 
full  conviction  of  their  own  utter  sinfulness,  misery,  and  impo- 
tence, and  totally  undone  state  as  in  themselves,  and  their  just 
desert  of  God's  utter  rejection  and  eternal  wrath,  and  the  utter 
insufficiency  of  their  own  righteousness,  or  any  thing  in  them,  to 
satisfy  divine  justice,  or  recommend  them  to  God's  favour,  they 
do  entirely  depend  on  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  his  satisfaction 
and  righteousness;  that  they  do  with  all  their  hearts  believe  the 
truth  of  the  gospel  of  Christ;  and  that  in  a  full  conviction  of  his 
sufficiency  and  perfect  excellency  as  a  Saviour,  as  exhibited  in  the 
gospel,  they  do  with  their  whole  souls  cleave  to  him,  and  acqui- 
^ce  in  him,  as  the  refuge  and  rest  of  their  souls,  and  fountain  of 
their  comfort;  that  they  repent  of  their  sins,  and  utterly  renounce 
all  sin,  and  give  up  themselves  wholly  to  Christ,  willingly  sub- 
jecting themselves  to  him  as  their  King;  that  they  give  him  their 
hearts  and  their  whole  man;  and  are  willing  and  resolved  to  have 
God  for  their  whole  and  everlasting  portion;  and  in  a  dependence 
on  his  promises  of  a  future  eternal  enjoyment  of  him  in  heaven, 
to  renounce  all  the  enjoyments  of  this  vain  world,  selling  all  for 
this  great  treasure  and  future  inheritance,  and  to  comply  with  every 
command  of  God,  even  the  most  difficult  and  self-denying,  and 
devote  their  whole  lives  to  God's  service;  and  that  in  forgiveness 
of  those  that  have  injured  them,  and  a  general  benevolence  t» 
mankind,  their  hearts  are  united  to  the  people  of  Jesus  Christ  as 
their  people,  to  cleave  to  them  and  love  them  as  their  brethren, 
and  worship  and  serve  God,  and  follow  Christ  in  union  and  fei- 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  381 

dowship  with  them,  being  willing  and  resolved  to  perform  all  those 
duties  that  belong  to  them,  as  members  of  the  same  family  of  God 
■and  mystical  body  of  Christ:  I  say,  for  persons  solemnly  to  pro- 
fess such  things  as  these,  as  in  the  presence  of  God,  is  the  same 
thing  as  to  profess  that  they  are  conscious  to,  or  do  experience  such 
things  in  their  hearts. 

Nor  is  it  what  I  suppose,  that  persons  giving  an  account  of  their 
experience  of  particular  exercises  of  grace,  with  the  times  and 
circumstances,  gives  no  advantage  to  others  in  forming  a  judg- 
ment of  their  state;  or  that  persons  may  not  fitly  be  inquired  of 
concerning  these  in  some  cases,  especially  cases  of  great  import- 
ance, where  all  possible  satisfaction  concerning  persons'  piety  is 
especially  to  be  desired  and  sought  after,  as  in  the  case  of  ordina- 
tion or  approbation  of  a  minister.  It  may  give  advantage  in  form- 
ing a  judgment,  in  several  respects;  and  among  others,  in  this, 
ihat  hereby  we  may  be  better  satisfied,  that  the  professor  speaks 
honestly  and  understandingly,  in  what  he  professes;  and  that  he 
does  not  make  the  profession  in  mere  formality. 

In  order  to  a  profession  of  Christianity  being  accepted  to  any 
purpose,  there  ought  to  be  good  reason,  from  the  circumstances  of 
the  profession,  to  think,  that  the  professor  does  not  make  such  a 
profession  out  of  a  mere  customaiy  compliance  with  a  prescribed 
form,  using  words  without  any  distinct  meaning,  or  in  a  very  lax 
and  ambiguous  manner,  as  confessions  of  faith  are  often  subscribed; 
but  that  the  professor  understandingly  and  honestly  signifies  what 
he  is  conscious  of  in  his  own  heart;  otherwise  his  prolession  can 
be  of  no  significance,  and  no  more  to  be  regarded  than  the  sound 
of  things  without  life.  But  indeed  (whatever  advantage  an  ac- 
count of  particular  exercises  may  give  in  jutlging  of  this)  it  must 
be  owned,  that  the  professor  having  been  previously  thoroughly 
instructed  by  his  teachers,  and  given  good  proof  of  his  sufficient 
knowledge,  together  with  a  practice  agreeable  to  his  prolession, 
is  the  best  evidence  of  this. 

Nor  do  I  suppose,  but  that,  if  a  person  that  is  inquired  of  about 
particular  passages,  times,  and  circumstances  of  his  christian  ex- 
perience, among  other  things,  seems  to  be  able  to  give  a  distinqt 
3  B 


38;^  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

account  of  the  manner  of  his  first  conversion,  in  such  a  method  as 
has  been  frequently  observable  in  true  conversion,  so  that  things 
seem  sensibly  and  distinctly  to  follow  one  another,  in  the  order  of 
time,  according  to  the  order  of  nature;  it  is  an  illustrating  cir- 
cumstance, that  among  other  things  adds  lustre  to  the  evidence  he 
gives  his  brethren  of  the  truth  of  his  experiences. 

But  the  thing  that  I  speak  of  as  unscriptural,  is  the  insisting  on 
a  particular  account  of  the  distinct  method  and  steps,  wherein  the 
Spirit  of  God  did  sensibly  proceed,  in  first  bringing  the  soul  into 
a  state  of  salvation,  as  a  thing  requisite  in  order  to  receiving  a. 
professor  into  full  charity  as  a  real  Christian;  or  so,  as  for  the 
want  of  such  relation,  to  disregard  other  things  in  the  evidence 
persons  give  to  their  neighbours  of  their  Christianity,  they  are 
vastly  more  important  and  essential. 

Secondly,  That  we  may  rightly  understand  how  Christian 
practice  is  the  greatest  evidence  that  others  can  have  of  the  sin- 
cerity of  a  professing  Christian,  it  is  needful  that  what  was  said 
before,  showing  what  christian  practice  is,  should  be  borne  in 
mind;  and  that  it  should  be  considered  how  far  this  may  be  vi- 
sible to  others.  Merely  that  a  professor  of  Christianity  is  what 
is  commonly  called  an  honest  man,  and  a  moral  man,  (i.  e.  we 
have  no  special  transgression  or  iniquity  to  charge  him  with, 
that  might  bring  a  blot  on  his  character)  is  no  great  evidence  of 
the  sincerity  of  his  profession.  This  is  not  making  his  light  shine 
before  men.  This  is  not  that  work  and  labour  of  love  showed 
towards  Christ's  name,  which  gave  the  apostle  such  persuasion  of 
the  sincerity  of  the  professing  Hebrews,  Heb.  vi.  9,  10.  It  may 
be  so,  that  we  may  see  nothing  in  a  man,  but  that  he  may  be  a 
good  man,  there  may  appear  nothing  in  his  life  and  conversation 
inconsistent  with  his  being  godly,  and  yet  neither  may  there  be 
any  great  positive  evidence  that  he  is  so.  But  there  may  be  great 
positive  appearance  of  holiness  in  men's  visible  behaviour.  Their 
life  may  appear  to  be  a  life  of  the  service  of  God:  they  may  ap- 
pear to  follow  the  example  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  come  up  in  a 
great  measure  to  those  excellent  rules  in  the  5th,  6th,  and  7th 
chapters  of  Matthew,  and  12th  of  Romans,  and  many  other  parts 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  38o 

of  the  New  Testament:  there  may  be  a  great  appearance  of  their 
being  universal  in  their  obedience  to  Christ's  commands  and  the 
rules  of  the  gospel.  They  may  appear  to  be  universal  in  the  per- 
formance of  the  duties  of  the  first  table,  manifesting  the  fear  and 
love  of  God;  and  also  universal  in  fulfilling  rules  of  love  to  men, 
love  to  saints,  and  love  to  enemies:  rules  of  meekness  and  for- 
giveness, rules  of  mercy  and  charity,  and  looking  not  only  at  our 
own  things  but  also  at  the  things  of  others;  rules  of  doing  good 
to  mens  souls  and  bodies,  to  particular  persons  and  to  the  pub- 
lic; rules  of  temperance  and  mortification,  and  of  an  humble  con- 
versation; rules  of  bridling  the  tongue,  and  improving  it  to  glori- 
fy God  and  bless  men,  showing  that  in  their  tongues  is  the  law  of 
kindness.  They  may  appear  to  walk  as  Christians,  in  all  places, 
and  at  all  seasons,  in  the  house  of  God,  and  in  their  families,  and 
among  their  neighbours,  on  Sabbath  days  and  every  day,  in  bu- 
siness and  in  conversation,  towards  friends  and  enemies,  towards 
superiors,  inferiors,  and  equals.  Persons  in  their  visible  walk  may 
appear  to  be  very  earnestly  engaged  in  the  service  of  God  and  man- 
kind, much  to  labour  and  layout  themselves  inthis  workof  a  Chris- 
tian, and  to  be  very  constant  and  steadfast  in  it,  under  all  circum- 
stances and  temptations.  There  may  be  great  manifestations  of  a 
spirit  to  deny  themselves,  and  suffer  for  God  and  Christ,  and  the 
interest  of  religion,  and  the  benefit  of  their  brethren.  There  may 
be  great  appearances  in  a  man's  walk,  of  a  disposition  to  forsake 
any  thing,  rather  than  to  forsake  Christ,  and  to  make  every  thing 
give  place  to  his  honour.  There  may  be  great  manifestations  in 
a  man's  behaviour  of  such  religion  as  this,  being  his  element,  and 
of  his  placing  the  delight  and  happiness  of  his  life  in  it;  and  his 
conversation  may  be  such,  that  he  may  carry  with  him  a  sweet 
odour  of  christian  graces  and  heavenly  dispositions,  wherever  he 
goes.  And  when  it  is  thus  in  the  professors  of  Christianity,  here 
is  an  evidence  to  others  of  their  sincerity  in  their  profession,  to 
which  all  other  manifestations  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared. 

There  is  doubtless  a  great  variety  in  the  degrees  of  evidence 

that  professors  do  exhibit  of  their  sincerity,  in  their  life  and  prac- 

"tice;  as  there  is  a  variety  in  the  fairness  and  clearness  of  ac- 


S84  TWELFTH  SIGN  Of 

counts  persons  give  of  the  manner  and  method  of  tlieir  experi- 
ences: but  undoubtedly  such  a  manifestation  as  has  been  de- 
scribed, of  a  christian  spirit  in  practice,  is  vastly  beyond  the 
fairest  and  brightest  story  of  particular  steps  and  passages  of  ex- 
perience that  ever  was  told.  And  in  general,  a  manifestation  of 
the  sincerity  of  a  christian  profession  in  practice,  is  far  better 
than  a  relation  of  experiences.     But  yet, 

Thirdly,  It  must  be  noted,  agreeable  to  what  was  formerly  ob- 
served, that  ho  external  manifestations  and  outward  appearances 
whatsoever,  that  are  visible  to  the  world,  are  infallible  evidences 
of  grace.  These  manifestations  that  have  been  mentioned,  are 
the  best  that  mankind  can  have;  and  they  are  such  as  do  oblige 
Christians  entirely  to  embrace  professors  as  saints,  and  love  them 
and  rejoice  in  them  as  the  children  of  God,  and  are  sufficient  to 
give  them  a^  great  satisfaction  concerning  them,  as  ever  is  need- 
ful to  guide  them  in  their  conduct,  or  for  any  purpose  that  needs 
to  be  answered  in  this  world.  But  nothing  that  appears  to  them 
in  their  neighbour,  can  be  sufficient  to  beget  an  absolute  certainty 
concerning  the  state  of  his  soul:  for  they  see  not  his  heart,  nor  can 
they  see  all  his  external  behaviour;  for  much  of  it  is  in  secret,  and 
hid  from  the  eye  of  the  world;  and  it  is  impossible  certainly  to 
determine  how  far  a  man  may  go  in  many  external  appearances 
and  imitations  of  grace,  from  other  principles.  Though  undoubt- 
edly, if  others  could  see  so  much  of  what  belongs  to  mens  prac- 
tice, as  their  own  consciences  may  see  of  it,  it  might  be  an  infal- 
lible evidence  of  their  state,  as  will  appear  from  what  follows. 

Having  thus  considered  christian  practice  as  the  best  evidence 
of  the  sincerity  of  professors  to  others,  I  now  proceed, 

2.  To  observe,  that  the  scripture  also  speaks  of  christian  prac- 
tice as  a  distinguishing  and  sure  evidence  of  grace  to  persons'  own 
consciences.  This  is  very  plain  in  1  John  ii.  3,  "  Hereby  we  do 
know  that  we  know  him,  if  we  keep  his  commandments."  And 
the  testimony  of  our  consciences,  with  respect  to  our  good  deeds, 
is  spoken  of  as  that  which  may  give  us  assurance  of  our  own  god- 
liness, 1  John  iii.  11,  19,  "My  little  children,  let  us  not  love  in 
word,  neither  in  tongue,  but  in  deed,  and  in  truth.     And  hereby 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  385 

we  know  that  we  ave  of  the  truth,  and  shall  assure  our  hearts  be- 
fore him."  And  the  apostle  Paul,  in  Heb.  vi.  speaks  of  the  work 
and  labour  of  love,  of  the  Christian  Hebrews,  as  that  which  both 
gave  him  a  persuasion  that  they  had  something  above  the  highest 
common  illuminations,  and  also  as  that  evidence  which  tended  to 
give  them  the  highest  assurance  of  hope  concerning  themselves; 
verse  9,  &c.  "  But,  beloved,  we  are  persuaded  better  things  of 
you,  and  things  that  accompany  salvation,  though  we  thus  speak. 
For  God  is  not  unrighteous,  to  forget  your  work  and  labour  of  love, 
which  ye  have  showed  toward  his  name,  in  that  ye  have  minis- 
tered to  his  saints,  and  do  minister.  And  we  desire  that  every  one 
of  you  do  show  the  same  diligence,  to  the  full  assurance  of  hope 
unto  the  end."  So  the  apostle  directs  the  Galatians  to  examine 
their  behaviour  or  practice,  that  they  might  have  rejoicing  in 
themselves  in  their  own  happy  state,  Gal.  vi.  4,  "  Let  every  man 
prove  his  own  work,  so  shall  he  have  rejoicing  in  himself,  and  not 
in  another."  And  the  psalmist  says,  Psal.  cxix.  6,  "  Then  shall 
I  not  be  ashamed,  when  I  have  respect  unto  all  thy  command- 
ments;" i.  e.  then  I  shall  be  bold,  and  assured,  and  steadfast  in  my 
hope.  And  in  that  of  our  Saviour,  Matt.  vii.  19,20,  "Every  tree 
that  bringeth  not  forth  good  fruit,  is  hewn  down  and  cast  into  the 
fire.  Wherefore  by  their  fruits  ye  shall  know  them."  Though 
Christ  gives  this,  firstly,  as  a  rule  by  which  we  should  judge  of 
others,  yet  in  the  words  that  next  follow  he  plainly  shows,  that  he 
intends  it  also  as  a  rule  by  which  we  should  judge  ourselves, 
"Not  every  one  that  saith  unto  me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  heaven;  but  he  that  doth  the  will  of  my  Father 
which  is  in  heaven.    Many  will  say  to  me  in  that  day.  Lord,  Lord, 

&c. And  then  will  I  profess  unto  them,  I  never  knew  you: 

depart  from  me,  ye  that  work  iniquity.  Therefore,  whosoever  hear- 
eth  these  sayings  of  mine,  and  doth  them,  I  will  liken  him  unto  a 

wise  man  which  built  his  house  upon  a  rock. And  every  one 

that  heareth  these  sayings  of  mine,  and  doth  them  not,  shall  be 
likened  unto  a  foolish  man  which  built  his  house  upon  the  sand." 
I  shall  have  occasion  to  mention  other  texts  that  show  the  same 
thing,  hereafter. 


336  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

But  for  the  greater  clearness  in  this  matter,  I  would  first  show 
how  christian  practice,  doing  good  works,  or  keeping  Christ's 
commandments,  is  to  be  taken,  when  the  scripture  represents  it 
as  a  sure  sign  to  our  own  consciences,  that  we  are  real  Christians. 
And,  secondly,  will  prove,  that  this  is  the  chief  of  all  evidences 
that  m€n  can  have  of  their  own  sincere  godliness. 

First,  I  would  show  how  christian  practice,  or  keeping  Christ's 
commandments,  is  to  be  taken,  when  the  scripture  represents  it 
as  a  sure  evidence  to  our  own  consciences,  that  we  are  sincere 
Christians. 

And  here  I  would  observe,  that  we  can  not  reasonably  suppose, 
that  when  the  scripture  in  this  case  speaks  of  good  works,  good 
fruit,  and  keeping  Christ's  commandments,  it  has  respect  merely 
to  what  is  external,  or  the  motion  and  action  of  the  body  without 
including  any  thing  else,  having  no  respect  to  any  aim  or  inten- 
tion of  the  agent,  or  any  act  of  his  understanding  or  will.  For 
consider  mens  actions  so,  and  they  are  no  more  good  works  or  acts 
of  obedience,  than  the  regular  motions  of  a  clock;  nor  are  they 
considered  as  the  actions  of  the  man,  nor  any  human  actions  at 
all.  The  actions  of  the  body,  taken  thus,  are  neither  acts  of 
obedience  nor  disobedience,  any  more  than  the  motions  of  the  body 
in  a  convulsion.  But  the  obedience  and  fruit  that  is  spoken  of,  is 
the  obedience  and  fruit  of  the  man;  and  therefore  not  only  the 
acts  of  the  body,  but  the  obedience  of  the  soul,  consisting  in  the 
acts  and  practice  of  the  soul.  Not  that  I  suppose,  that  when  the 
scripture  speaks,  in  this  case,  of  gracious  works,  and  fruit  and 
practice,  that  in  these  expressions  are  included  all  inward  piety 
and  holiness  of  heart,  both  principle  and  exercise,  both  spirit  and 
practice:  because  then,  in  these  things  being  given  as  signs  of  a 
gracious  principle  in  the  heart,  the  same  thing  would  be  given  as 
a  sign  of  itself,  and  there  would  be  no  distinction  between  root 
and  fruit.  But  only  the  gracious  exercise,  and  holy  act  of  the  soul 
is  meant,  and  given  as  the  sign  of  the  holy  principle  and  good  es- 
tate. Neither  is  every  kind  of  inward  exercise  of  grace  meant; 
but  the  practical  exercise,  that  exercise  of  the  soul,  and  exertion 
of  inward  holiness,  which  there  is  in  an  obediential  act;  or  that 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  387 

exertion  of  the  mind,  and  act  of  grace,  which  issues  and  termin- 
ates in  what  they  call  the  imperate  acts  of  the  will;  in  which 
something  is  directed  and  commanded  by  the  soul  to  be  done,  and 
brought  to  pass  in  practice. 

Here,  for  a  clearer  understanding  I  would  observe,  that  there 
are  two  kinds  of  exercises  of  grace.  1.  There  are  those  that  some 
call  immanent  acts;  that  is,  those  exercises  of  grace  that  remain 
within  the  soul,  that  begin  and  are  terminated  there,  without  any 
immediate  relation  to  any  thing  to  be  done  outwardly,  or  to  be 
brought  to  pass  in  practice.  Such  are  the  exercises  of  grace, 
which  the  saints  often  have  in  contemplation;  when  the  exercise 
that  is  in  the  heart  does  not  directly  proceed  to,  or  terminate  in 
any  thing  beyond  the  thoughts  of  the  mind;  however  they  may 
tend  to  practice  (as  all  exercises  of  grace  do)  more  remotely. 
2.  There  is  another  kind  of  acts  of  grace,  that  are  more  strictly 
called  practical,  or  effective  exercises,  because  they  immediately 
respect  something  to  be  done.     They  are  the  exertions  of  grace 

f  in  the  commanding  acts  of  the  will,  directing  the  outward  actions. 
As  when  a  saint  gives  a  cup  of  cold  water  to  a  disciple,  in  and 
from  the  exercise  of  the  grace  of  charity,  or  voluntarily  endures 
persecution  in  the  way  of  his  duty,  immediately  from  the  exer- 
cise of  a  supreme  love  to  Christ  Here  is  the  exertion  of  grace 
producing  its  effect  in  outward  actions.  These  exercises  of  grace 
are  practical  and  productive  of  good  works,  not  only  in  this  sense, 
that  they  are  of  a  productive  nature,  (for  so  are  all  exercises  of 

,  true  grace)  but  they  are  the  producing  acts.  This  is  properly 
the  exercise  of  grace  in  the  act  of  the  will;  and  this  is  properly 

;  the  practice  of  the  soul.  And  the  soul  is  the  immediate  actor  of 
no  other  practice  but  this;  the  motions  of  the  body  follow  from 
the  laws  of  union  between  the  soul  and  body,  which  God,  and  no! 
the  soul,  has  fixed  and  does  maintain.  The  act  of  the  soul  and 
the  exercise  of  grace,  that  is  exerted  in  the  performance  of  a  good 
work,  is  the  good  work  itself,  so  far  as  the  soul  is  concerned  in  it, 
or  so  far  as  it  is  the  soul's  good  work.  The  determinations  of  the 
ivill  are  indeed  our  very  actions,  so  far  as  they  are  properly  ours, 


TWELFTH  Sign  of 

as  Dr.  Doddridge  observes.!  In  this  practice  of  the  soul  is  in- 
j  eluded  the  aim  and  intention  of  the  soul,  which  is  the  agent.  For 
-'■-not  only  should  we  not  look  on  the  motions  of  a  statue,  doing  jus- 
tice or  distributing  alms  by  clockwork,  as  any  acts  of  obedience 
to  Christ  in  that  statue;  but  neither  would  any  body  call  the  vol- 
untary actions  of  a  man,  externally  and  materially  agreeable  to  a 
command  of  Christ,  by  the  name  of  obedience  to  Christ,  if  he 
had  never  heard  of  Christ,  or  any  of  his  commands,  or  had  no 
thought  of  his  commands  in  what  he  did.  If  the  acts  of  obedience 
and  good  fruit  spoken  of,  be  looked  upon,  not  as  mere  motions 
of  the  body,  but  as  acts  of  the  soul:  the  whole  exercise  of  the 
spirit  of  the  mind  in  the  action,  must  be  taken  in,  with  the  end 
acted  for,  and  the  respect  the  soul  then  has  to  God,  &c.  otherwise 
they  are  no  acts  of  denial  of  ourselves,  or  obedience  to  God,  or 
service  done  to  him,  but  something  else.  Such  effective  exercises 
of  grace  as  these  that  I  have  now  described,  many  of  the  martyrs 
have  experienced  in  a  high  degree.  And  all  true  saints  live  a  life 
of  such  acts  of  grace  as  these;  as  they  all  live  a  life  of  gracious 
■f  works,  of  which  these  operative  exertions  of  grace  are  the  life  and 
«oul.  And  this  is  the  obedience  and  fruit  that  God  mainly  looks 
at,  as  he  looks  at  the  soul,  more  than  the  body;  as  much  as  the 
soul,  in  the  constitution  of  the  human  nature,  is  the  superior  part. 
As  God  looks  at  the  obedience  and  practice  of  the  man,  he  looks 
at  the  practice  of  the  soul;  for  the  soul  is  the  man  in  God's  sight, 
"  for  the  Lord  seeth  not  as  man  seeth,  for  he  looketh  on  the  heart." 
And  thus  it  is,  that  obedience,  good  works,  good  fruits,  are  to 
be  taken,  when  given  in  scripture  as  a  sure  evidence  to  our  own 
consciences  of  a  true  principle  of  grace:  even  as  including  the 
obedience  and  practice  of  the  soul,  as  preceding  and  governing 
the  actions  of  the  body.  When  practice  is  given  in  scripture  as 
the  main  evidence  to  others  of  our  true  Christianity,  then  is  meant, 
that  in  our  practice  which  is  visible  to  them,  even  our  outward 
actions:  but  when  practice  is  given  as  a  sure  evidence  of  our  real 
Christianity  to  our  own  consciences,  then  is  meant  that  in  our 

t  Scripture  Doctrine  of  Salvation,  Sermon  I,  p.  11.. 


fiRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  389 

practice  which  is  visible  to  our  own  consciences;  wliich  is  not 
only  the  motion  of  our  bodies,  but  the  exertion  of  the  soul,  which 
directs  and  commands  that  motion;  which  is  more  directly  and 
immediately  under  the  view  of  our  own  consciences,  than  the  act 
of  the  body.  And  that  this  i^  the  intent  of  the  scripture,  not  only  does 
the  nature  and  reason  of  the  thing  show,  but  it  is  plain  by  the 
scripture  itself.  Thus  it  is  evident,  that  when  Christ,  at  the  con- 
clusion of  his  sermon  on  the  mount,  speaks  of  doing  or  practising 
those  sayings  of  his,  as  the  grand  sign  of  professors  being  true  dis- 
ciples, without  which  he  likens  them  to  a  man  that  built  his  house 
upon  the  sand,  and  with  which,  to  a  man  that  built  his  house  upon 
a  rock;  he  has  a  respect,  not  only  to  the  outward  behaviour,  but 
to  the  inward  exercise  of  the  mind  in  that  behaviour:  as  is  evi- 
dent by  observing  what  those  preceding  sayings  of  his  are  that  he 
refers  to,  when  he  spealvs  of  our  doing  or  practising  them;  and  we 
shall  find  that  they  are  such  as  these:  "Blessed  are  the  poor  in 
spirit;  blessed  are  they  that  mourn;  blessed  are  the  meek;  blessed 
are  they  that  do  hunger  and  thirst  after  righteousness;  blessed  are 
the  merciful;  blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart;  whosoever  is  angry 
with  his  brother  without  a  cause,  &c.  whosoever  looketh  on  a 
woman  to  lust  after  her,  Sic.  love  your  enemies;  take  no  thought 
for  your  life,"  and  others  of  the  like  nature,  which  imply  inward 
exercises:  and  when  Christ  says,  John  xiv.  2,  "  He  that  hath  my 
commandments,  and  keepeth  them,  he  it  is  that  loveth  me;"  he 
has  evidently  a  special  respect  to  that  command  several  times  re- 
peated in  the  same  discourse  (which  he  calls  by  way  of  eminence, 
bis  commandment)  that  they  should  love  one  another,  as  he  had  loved 
them  (see  chap.  xiii.  34,35,  and  chap.  xv.  10,1,^,13,14.)  But  this 
command  respects  chiefly  an  exercise  of  the  mind  or  heart,  though  ex- 
erted in  practice.  So  when  the  apostle  John  says,  1  John  ii,  3,  "Here- 
by we  do  know  that  we  know  him,  if  ^ve  keep  his  command- 
ments;" he  has  plainly  a  principal  respect  to  the  same  command, 
as  appears  by  what  follows,  ver.  7 — 11,  and  2d  E|)ist,  ver.  5,  6, 
and  vvlien  we  are  told  in  scripture  that  men  shall  at  the  last  day 
be  judged  according  to  their  works,  and  all  shall  receive  accord- 
ing to  the  things  done  in  the  body;  it  is  not  to  be  understood  only 
3  c 


390  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

of  outward  acts;  for  if  so,  why  is  God  so  often  spoken  of  as  search- 
ing the  hearts  and  trying  the  reins,  "  that  he  may  render  to  every 
one  according  to  his  works?"  As  Rev.  ii.  23,  "And  all  the 
churches  shall  know  that  I  am  he  which  searcheth  the  reins  and 
hearts;  and  I  will  give  unto  every  one  according  to  his  works," 
Jer.  xvii.  9, 10,  "I  the  Lord  search  the  heart,  I  try  the  reins,  even 
to  give  every  man  according  to  his  ways,  and  according  to  the 
fruit  of  his  doings."  But  if  hy  his  ways,  and  the  fruit  of  his  doings, 
is  meant  only  the  actions  of  his  body,  what  need  of  searching  the 
heart  and  reins  in  order  to  know  them?  Hezekiah  in  his  sickness 
pleads  his  practice  as  an  evidence  of  his  title  to  God's  favour,  as 
including  not  only  his  outward  actions,  but  what  was  in  his  heart, 
Isa.  xxxviii.  3,  "  Remember  now,  0  Lord,  I  beseech  thee,  how  I 
have  walked  before  thee  in  truth,  and  with  a  perfect  heart." 

Though  in  this  great  evidence  of  sincerity  that  the  scripture 
gives  us,  what  is  inward  is  of  greatest  importance;  yet  what  is 
outward  is  included  and  intended,  as  connected  with  the  practi- 
cal exertion  of  grace  in  the  will,  directing  an4-eommanding  the 
actions  of  the  body.  And  hereby  3.f:e  effectually  cut  off  all  pre- 
tensions that  any  man  can  have  to  evidences  of  godliness,  who 
externally  lives  wickedly;  because  the  great  evidence  lies  in  that 
inward  exercise  and  practice  of  the  soul,  which  consists  in  the 
acts  of  the  will,  commanding  outward  acts.  But  it  is  known, 
that  these  commanding  acts  of  the  will  are  not  one  way,  and  the 
actions  of  the  bodily  organs  another:  for  the  unalterable  law  of 
nature  is,  that  they  should  be  united,  as  long  as  soul  and  body  are 
united,  and  the  organs  are  not  so  destroyed  as  to  be  incapable  of 
those  motions  that  the  soul  commands.  Thus  it  would  be  ridi- 
culous for  a  man  to  plead,  that  the  commanding  act  of  his  will 
was  to  go  to  the  public  worship,  while  his  feet  carry  him  to  a 
tavern  or  brothel-house;  or  that  the  commanding  act  of  his  will 
was  to  give  such  a  piece  of  money  he  had  in  his  hand  to  a  poor 
beggar,  while  his  hand  at  the  same  instant  kept  it  back,  and  held 
it  fast. 

Secondly,  I  proceed  to  show,  that  christian  practice,  taken  in 
the  same  sense  that  has  been  explained,  is  the  chief  of  all  the 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  591 

evidences  of  a  saving  sincerity  in  religion,  to  the  consciences  of 
the  professors  of  it;  much  to  be  preferred  to  the  method  of  the 
first  convictions,  enhghtenings,  and  comforts  in  conversion,  or  any 
eminent  discoveries  or  exercises  of  grace  v.hatsocver,  that  be- 
gin and  end  in  contemplation.!  The  evidence  of  this  appears  by 
the  following  arguments. 

Argument  I. — Reason  plainly  shows,  that  those  things  which 
put  it  to  the  proof  what  men  wull  actually  cleave  to  and  prefer  in 
their  practice,  when  left  to  follow  their  own  choice  and  inclina- 
tions, are  the  proper  trial  what  they  do  really  prefer  in  their 
hearts.  Sincerity  in  religion,  as  has  been  observed  already,  con- 
sists in  setting  God  highest  in  the  heart,  in  choosing  him  before 

■}•  "  Look  upon  John,  Christ's  beloved  disciple  and  bosom  compunion;  he 
had  received  the  anointing  to  know  him  that  is  true,  and  he  knew  that  he 
knew  him,  1  John  ii,  3.  But  how  did  he  know  that?  He  might  be  de- 
ceived; (as  it  is  strange  to  see  what  a  melancholy  fancy  will  do,  and  the  ef- 
fects of  it;  as  honest  men  are  reputed  to  have  weak  brains,  and  never  saw 
the  depths  of  the  secrets  of  God;)  what  is  his  last  proof?  •  because  we  keep 
his  commandments.'  "     S/iepard's  Parable,  Part  I.  p.  131. 

"  A  man  may  know  his  present  union  to  the  Lord  Jesus,  by  works:  1  John 
ii.  4,  •  He  that  saith  I  know  him,  and  keeps  not  his  commandments,  is  a 
liar.' — Yes,  that  is  true  negatively;  but  may  a  man,  ought  a  man,  to  see  or 
know  his  union  positively  by  this?  Answ.  ver.  5.  Many  said  they  did  know 
and  love  the  Lord,  but  he  that  keeps  his  words — O  they  are  sweet!  It  is 
heaven  to  cleave  to  him  in  every  command;  it  is  death  to  depart  from  any 
command;  hereby  know  we  that  we  are  in  him.  If  it  were  possible  to  ask 
«f  angels  how  they  know  they  are  not  devils,  they  would  answer.  The 
Lord's  will  is  our's."     Sfiepard^s  Parable,  Part  L  p.  134. 

•«  If  the  question  be.  Whom  doth  the  Lord  Jesus  love?  you  need  not  go 
to  heaven  for  it,  the  word  is  nigh  thee.  Those  that  love  Christ.  Who  are 
those?  Those  that  keep  his  commandments."  ShepanVs  Parable,  Parti,  p. 
138. 

"  Will  you  have  Christ  sit  in  heaven,  and  not  look  that  he  subdue  your 
lusts  by  the  work  of  his  grace,  and  so  sway  your  hearts?  You  despise  his 
kingdom  then.  Do  you  seek  for  pardon  in  the  blood  of  Christ,  and  never 
look  for  the  virtue  and  end  of  that  blood  to  wash  you,  and  make  you  with- 
out spot,  &c.?  You  despise  his  pricstiiood  and  blood  then.  Do  you  look  for 
Christ  to  do  work  for  you,  and  you  not  do  Christ's  work,  and  bring  forth 
fruit  to  him?  You  despise  his  honour  then,  John  xv.  8.  If  I  were  to  discover 
a  hypocrite,  or  a  false  heart,  this  I  would  say,  it  is  he  that  shall  set  up  Christ, 
but  loathe  his  works."    Shepard's  Parable,  Part  I.  p.  140.^ 


392  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

other  things,  in  having  a  heart  to  sell  all  for  Christ,  &c.  But  a 
man's  actions  are  the  proper  trial  what  a  man's  heart  prefers. 
As  for  instance,  when  it  is  so  that  God  and  other  things  come  to 
stand  in  competition,  God  is  as  it  were  set  before  a  man  on  one 
hand,  and  his  worldly  interest  or  pleasure  on  the  other  (as  it  of- 
ten is  so  in  the  course  of  a  man's  life)  his  behaviour  in  such  case, 
in  actually  cleaving  to  the  one  and  forsaking  the  other,  is  the  pro- 
per trial  which  he  prefers.  Sincerity  consists  in  forsaking  all  for 
Christ  in  heart;  but  to  forsake  all  for  Christ  in  heart,  is  the  very 
same  thing  as  to  have  a  heart  to  forsake  all  for  Christ;  but  cer- 
tainly the  proper  trial  whether  a  man  has  a  heart  to  forsake  all 
for  Christ,  is  his  being  actually  put  to  it,  the  having  Christ  and 
other  things  coming  in  competition,  that  he  must  actually  or  prac- 
tically Cleave  to  one  and  forsake  the  other.  To  forsake  all  for 
Christ  in  heart,  is  the  same  thing  as  to  have  a  heart  to  forsake 
all  for  Christ  when  called  to  it:  but  the  highest  proof  to  our- 
selves and  others,  that  we  have  a  heart  to  forsake  all  for  Christ 
when  called  to  it,  is  actually  doing  it  when  called  to  it,  or  so  far 
as  called  to  it.  To  follow  Christ  in  heart  is  to  have  a  heart  to 
follow  him.  To  deny  ourselves  in  heart  for  Chri&t,  is  the  same 
thing  as  to  have  a  heart  to  deny  ourselves  for  him  in  fact.  The 
main  and  n^.ost  proper  proof  of  a  man's  having  a  heart  to  any 
thing,  concerning  which  he  is  at  liberty  to  follow  his  own  incli- 
nations, and  either  to  do  or  not  to  do  as  he  pleases,  is  his  doing  of 
it.  When  a  man  is  at  liberty  whether  to  speak  or  keep  silence, 
the  most  proper  evidence  of  his  having  a  heart  to  speak,  is  his 
speaking.  When  a  man  is  at  liberty  whether  to  walk  or  sit  still, 
the  proper  proof  of  his  having  a  heart  to  walk,  is  his  walking. 
Godliness  consists  not  in  a  heart  to  intend  to  do  the  will  of  God, 
but  in  a  heart  to  do  it.  The  children  of  Israel  in  the  wilder- 
ness had  the  former,  of  whom  we  read,  Deut.  v.  27,  28,  29. 
*'  Go  thou  near,  and  hear  all  that  the  Lord  our  God  shall  say; 
and  speak  thou  unto  us  all  that  the  Lord  our  God  shall  speak 
unto  thee,  and  we  will  hear  it,  and  do  it.  And  the  Lord  heard 
the  voice  of  your  words,  when  ye  spake  unto  me;  and  the  Lord 
said  unto  me,  I  have  heard  the  voice  of  the  words  of  this  people, 


QRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  393 

"which  they  have  spoken  unto  thee;  they  have  well  said  all  that 
they  have  spoken.  0  that  there  were  such  a  heart  in  them,  that 
they  would  fear  me  and  keep  all  my  commandments  always,  that 
it  might  be  well  with  them,  and  with  their  children  forever!" 
The  people  manifested  that  they  had  a  heart  to  intend  to  keep 
God's  commandments,  and  to  he  very  fonvard  in  those  inten- 
tions; but  God  manifests,  that  this  was  far  from  being  the  thing 
that  he  desired,  wherein  true  godliness  consists,  even  a  heart  ac- 
tually to  keep  them." 

It  is  therefore  exceedingly  absurd,  and  even  ridiculous,  for  any 
to  pretend  that  they  have  a  good  heart,  while  they  live  a  wicked 
life,  or  do  not  bring  forth  the  fruit  of  universal  holiness  in  (heir 
practice.  For  it  is  proved  in  fact,  that  such  men  do  not  love  God 
above  all.  It  is  foolish  to  dispute  against  plain  fact  and  expe- 
rience. Men  that  live  in  ways  of  sin,  and  yet  flatter  themselves 
that  they  shall  go  to  heaven,  or  expect  to  be  received  hereafter  as 
holy  persons,  without  a  holy  practice,  act  as  though  they  expected 
to  make  a  fool  of  their  Judge.  Which  is  implied  in  what  the 
apostle  says  (speaking  of  mens  doing  good  works  and  living  a  holy 
life,  thereby  exhibiting  evidence  of  their  title  to  everlasting  life) 
Gal.  vi.  7,  "  Be  not  deceived;  God  is  not  mocked;  for  whatso- 
ever a  man  soweth,  that  shall  he  also  reap."  As  much  as  to  say, 
"  Do  not  deceive  yourselves  with  an  expectation  of  reaping  life 
everlasting  hereafter,  if  you  do  not  sow  to  the  spirit  here;  it  is  in 
vain  to  think  that  God  will  be  made  a  fool  of  by  you,  that  he  will 
be  shammed  and  baffled  with  shadows  instead  of  substance,  and 
with  vain  pretences,  instead  of  that  good  fruit  which  he  expects, 
when  the  contrary  to  what  you  pretend  appears  plainly  in  your  life, 
before  his  face."  In  this  manner  the  word  mock  is  sometimes  used 
in  scripture.  Thus  Delilah  says  to  Sampson,  "  behold  thou  hast 
mocked  me,  and  told  me  lies."  Judges  xvi.  10, 13,  i.  e.  "  Thou 
hast  baffled  me,  as  though  you  would  have  made  a  fool  of  me,  as 
if  I  might  be  easily  turned  off  with  any  vain  pretence,  instead  of 
the  truth."  So  it  is  said  that  Lot^  when  he  told  his  sons-in-law 
that  God  would  destroy  that  place,  "  beseemed  as  one  that  mock- 
ed, to  his  sons-in-law."     Gen.  xix.  14,  i.  e.  he  seemed  as  one 


394  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

that  would  make  a  game  of  them,  as  though  they  were  such  credu- 
lous fools  as  to  regard  such  bugbears.  But  the  great  Judge,  whose 
eyes  are  as  a  flame  of  fire,  will  not  be  mocked  or  baffled  with 
any  pretences,  without  a  holy  life.  If  in  his  name  men  have  prophe- 
sied and  wrought  miracles,  and  have  had  faith,  so  that  they  could 
remove  mountains,  and  cast  out  devils,  and  however  high  their  re- 
ligious affections  have  been,  however  great  resemblances  they  have 
had  of  grace,  and  though  their  hiding  place  has  been  so  dark  and 
deep,  that  no  human  skill  nor  search  could  find  them  out;  yet  if 
they  are  workers  or  practisers  of  iniquity,  they  can  not  hide  their 
hypocrisy  from  their  Judge:  Job  xxxiv.  22,  "There  is  no  dark- 
ness, nor  shadow  of  death,  where  the  workers  of  iniquity  may  hide 
themselves."  Would  a  wise  prince  suffer  himself  to  be  fooled  and 
baffled  by  a  subject,  who  should  pretend  that  he  was  a  loyal  sub- 
ject, and  should  tell  his  prince  that  he  had  an  entire  affection  to 
him,  and  that  at  such  and  such  a  time  he  had  experience  of  it, 
and  felt  his  affections  strongly  working  towards  him,  and  should 
come  expecting  to  be  accepted  and  rewarded  by  his  prince,  as  one 
of  his  best  friends  on  that  account,  though  he  lived  in  rebellion 
against  him,  following  some  pretender  to  his  crown,  and  from  time 
to  time  stirring  up  sedition  against  him?  Or  would  a  master  suffer 
himself  to  be  shammed  and  gulled  by  a  servant,  that  should  pre- 
tend to  great  experiences  of  love  and  honour  towards  him  in  his 
heart,  and  a  great  sense  of  his  worthiness  and  kindness  to  him, 
when  at  the  same  time  he  refused  to  obey  him,  and  he  could  get 
no  service  done  by  him.'' 

Argument  II. — As  reason  shows,  that  those  things  which  occur 
in  the  course  of  life,  that  put  it  to  the  proof  whether  men  will  pre- 
fer God  to  other  things  in  practice,  are  the  proper  trial  of  the  up- 
rightness and  sincerity  of  their  hearts;  so  the  same  are  represent- 
ed as  the  proper  trial  of  the  sincerity  of  professors  in  the  scrip- 
ture. There  we  find  that  such  things  are  called  by  that  very  name, 
trials  or  temptations  (which  I  before  observed  are  both  words  of 
the  same  signification, )  The  things  that  put  it  to  the  proof,  whether 
men  will  prefer  God  to  other  things  in  practice,  are  the  difficulties 
©f  religion,  or  those  things  which  occur  that  make  the  practice  of 


GRACIOUS    AFFE(friONS.  395 

duty  difficult  and  cross  to  other  principles  beside  the  love  of  God; 
because  in  them,  God  and  other  things  are  both  set  before  men 
together,  for  their  actual  and  practical  choice;  and  it  comes  to  this, 
that  we  can  not  hold  to  both,  but  one  orthe  other  must  be  forsaken. 
And  these  things  are  all  over  the  scripture  called  by  the  name  oC 
trials  or  proofs.f  And  they  are  called  by  this  name,  because 
hereby  professors  are  tried  and  proved  of  what  sort  they  be,  whether 
they  are  really  what  they  profess  and  appear  to  be;  and  because 
in  them  the  reality  of  a  supreme  love  to  God  is  brought  to  the  test 
of  experiment  and  fact;  they  are  the  proper  proofs  in  which  it  is 
truly  determined  by  experience,  whether  men  have  a  thorough 
disposition  of  heart  to  cleave  to  God  or  not,  Deut.  viii.  2,  "  And 
thou  shalt  remember  all  the  way  which  the  Lord  thy  God  led  thee 
these  forty  years  in  the  wilderness,  to  humble  thee,  and  to  prove 
thee,  whether  thou  wouldest  keep  his  commandments  or  not," 
Judges  ii.  21,  22,  "  I  also  will  not  henceforth  drive  out  any  from 
before  them,  of  the  nations  which  Joshua  left  when  he  died;  that 
through  them  I  may  prove  Israel,  whether  they  will  keep  the  waj 
of  the  Lord."     So  chap.  iii.  1,  4,  and  Exod.  xvi.  4. 

The  scripture,  when  it  calls  these  difficulties  of  religion  by  the 
name  of  temptations  or  trials,  explains  itself  to  mean  thereby  the 
trial  or  experiment  of  their  faith,  James  i.  2,  3,  "  My  brethren, 
count  it  all  joy  when  ye  fall  into  divers  temptations;  knowing  this, 
that  the  trying  of  j'our  faith  worketh  patience.  1  Pet.  i.  6,  7, 
"  Now,  for  a  season  ye  are  in  heaviness,  through  manifold  temp- 
tations; that  the  trial  of  your  faith  being  much  more  precious  than 
of  gold,"  &c.  So  the  apostle  Paul  speaks  of  that  expensive  duty 
of  parting  with  our  substance  to  the  poor,  as  the  proof  of  the  sin- 
cerity of  the  love  of  Christians,  2  Cor.  viii.  8.  And  the  difficulties 
of  religion  are  often  represented  in  scripture,  as  being  the  trial  of 
professors,  in  the  same  manner  that  the  furnace  is  the  proper  trial 
of  gold  and  silver,  Psal.  Ixvi.  10,  1 1,  "  Thou,  0  God,  hast  proved 

f  2  Cor.  viii.  2.  Heb.  xi.  36.  IPet.  i.T.  Chap.  iv.  12.  Gen.  s.xii.  1.  Deut. 
viii.  2,  16.  Chap.  xiii.  3.  Exod  xv.25.  Chap.  xvi.  4.  Judges  ii.  :i2.  Cliap.  jii.l. 
4.  Psal.  Jxvi.  10,  11.  Dan.  xii.  10.  Rev.  iii  10.  Job  xxiii.  10.  Zech.  xiii.  9, 
James  i.  12.  Kev.  11. 10.  Luke  viii.  1.",  Acts  xs.  19.  James  i.  2.3.  IPet.  1,6. 


396  TWELFTH    SIGN    OF 

us:  thou  hast  tried  us  as  silver  is  tried:  thou  broughtest  us  into 
the  net,  thou  laidest  affliction  upon  our  loins."  Zech.  xiii,  9,  "And 
I  will  bring  the  third  part  of  them  through  the  fire;  and  I  will  re- 
fine them  as  silver  is  refined;  and  I  will  try  them  as  gold  is  tried." 
That  which  has  the  colour  and  appearance  of  gold,  is  put  into 
the  furnace  to  try  whether  it  be  what  it  seems  to  be,  real  gold  or 
not.  So  the  difficulties  of  religion  are  called  trials,  because  they  trjr 
those  that  have  the  profession  and  appearance  of  saints,  whether 
they  are  what  they  appear  to  be,  real  saints. 

If  we  put  true  gold  into  the  furnace,  we  shall  find  its  great  value 
and  preciousness:  so  the  truth  and  inestimable  value  of  the  virtues 
of  a  true  Christian  appear  when  under  these  trials,  1  Pet.  i.  7, 
"  That  the  trial  of  your  faith,  being  much  more  precious  than  of 
gold  that  perisheth,  might  be  found  unto  praise,  and  honour,  and 
glory."  True  and  pure  gold  will  come  out  of  the  furnace  in  full 
weight:  so  true  saints,  when  tried,  come  forth  as  gold,  Job  xxiii. 
10.  Christ  distinguishes  true  grace  from  counterfeit  by  this,  that 
it  is  gold  tried  in  the  fire,  Rev.  iii.  17,  18.  So  that  it  is  evident, 
that  these  things  are  called  trials  in  scripture,  principally  as  they 
try  or  prove  the  sincerity  of  professors.  And,  from  what  has  now 
been  observed,  it  is  evident  that  they  are  the  most  proper  trial  or 
proof  of  their  sincerity:  inasmuch  as  the  very  meaning  of  the  word 
trial  as  it  is  ordinarily  used  in  scripture,  is  the  difficulty  occurring 
in  the  way  of  a  professor's  duty,  as  the  trial  or  experiment  of  his 
sincerity.  If  trial  of  sincerity  be  the  proper  name  of  these  diffi-» 
culties  of  religion,  then,  doubtless,  these  difficulties  of  religion  are 
properly  and  eminently  the  trial  of  sincerity;  for  they  are  doubt- 
less eminently  what  they  are  called  by  the  Holy  Ghost:  God  gives 
things  their  name  from  that  which  is  eminently  their  nature.  And, 
if  it  be  so,  that  these  things  are  the  proper  and  eminent  trial, 
proof,  or  experiment  of  the  sincerity  of  professors,  then  certainly 
tlie  result  of  the  trial  or  experiment  (that  is,  persons' behaviour  or 
practice  under  such  trials)  is  the  proper  and  eminent  evidence  of 
their  sincerit)';  for  they  are  called  trials  or  proofs,  only  with  re- 
gard to  the  result,  and  because  the  effect  is  eminently  the  proof 
€r  evidence.  And  this  is  the  most  proper  proof  and  evidence  to  the 


GRACIOUS   AFFECTIONS.  391 

conscience  of  those  that  are  the  subjects  of  these  trials.  For,  when 
God  is  said  by  these  things  to  try  men,  and  prove  them,  to  see  what 
is  in  their  hearts,  and  whether  they  will  keep  his  commandments  or 
not;  we  are  not  to  understand,  that  it  is  for  his  own  information, 
or  that  he  may  obtain  evidence  himself  of  their  sincerity;  (for  he 
needs  no  trials  for  his  information)  but  chiefly  for  their  conviction, 
and  to  exhibit  evidence  to  their  consciences.! 

Thus  when  God  is  said  to  prove  Israel  by  the  difficulties  they 
met  with  in  the  wilderness,  and  by  the  difficulties  they  met  witb 
from  their  enemies  in  Canaan,  to  know  what  was  in  their  hearts, 
whether  they  would  keep  his  commandments  or  not;  it  must  be 
understood,  that  it  was  to  discover  them  to  themselves,  that  they 
might  know  what  was  in  their  own  hearts.  So  when  God  tempted 
or  tried  Abraham  with  that  difficult  command  of  offisring  up  his 
son,  it  was  not  for  his  satisfaction,  whether  he  feared  God  or  not, 
but  for  Abraham's  own  greater  satisfaction  and  comfort,  and  the 
more  clear  manifestation  of  the  favour  of  God  to  him.  When 
Abraham  had  proved  faithful  under  this  trial,  God  says  to  him, 
"  Now  I  know  that  thou  fearest  God,  seeing  thou  hast  not  with- 
held thy  son,  thine  only  son,  from  me."  Which  plainly  implies, 
that  in  this  practical  exercise  of  Abraham's  grace  under  this  trial, 
was  a  clearer  evidence  of  the  truth  of  his  grace,  than  ever  was  be- 
fore; and  the  greatest  evidence  to  Abraham's  conscience;  because 
God  himself  gives  it  to  Abraham  as  such,  for  his  comfort  and  re- 
joicing; and  speaks  of  it  to  him  as  what  might  be  the  greatest  evi- 
dence to  his  conscience  of  his  being  upright  in  the  sight  of  his 
Judge,  Which  proves  what  I  say,  that  holy  practice,  under  trials, 
is  the  highest  evidence  of  the  sincerity  of  professors  to  their  own 
consciences.  And  we  find  that  Christ,  from  time  to  time,  took  the 
same  method  to  convince  the  consciences  of  those  that  pretended 
friendship  to  him,  and  to  show  them  what  they  were.     This  was 

f  "I  am  persuaded,  as  Calvin  is,  that  all  the  several  trials  of  men  are  to 
show  them  to  themselves,  and  to  the  world,  that  they  be  but  counterfeits; 
and  to  make  saints  known  to  themselves  the  better.  Rom.  v.  5.  Tribulation 
works  trial,  and  that  hope.  Prov.xvii.  3.  If  you  will  know  whether  it  will 
hold  weight,  the  trial  will  tell  you,"  Sfiepard's  Parable,  Part  I,  p.  19f . 

3o 


398  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

Ihe  method  he  took  with  the  rich  young  man,  Matt.  xix.  16,  &c. 
He  seemed  to  show  a  great  respect  to  Christ;  he  came  kneeling 
to  him,  ant]  calling  him  good  Master,  and  made  a  great  profession 
of  obedience  to  the  commandments;  but  Christ  tried  him,  by  bid- 
ding him  go  and  sell  all  that  he  had,  and  give  to  the  poor,  and 
come  and  take  up  his  cross  and  follow  him;  telling  him,  that  then 
he  should  have  treasure  in  heaven.  So  he  tried  another  that  we 
read  of,  Matt.  viii.  20.  He  made  a  great  profession  of  respect  to 
Christ:  says  he,  Lord,  I  will  follow  thee  withersoever  thou  goest. 
Christ  immediately  puts  his  friendship  to  the  proof,  by  telling  him, 
that  the  foxes  had  holes,  and  the  birds  of  the  air  had  nests,  but 
that  the  Son  of  Man  had  not  where  to  lay  his  head.  And  thus 
Christ  is  wont  still  to  try  professed  disciples  in  general,  in  his 
providence.  So  the  seed  sown,  in  every  kind  of  ground,  stony 
ground,  thorny  ground,  and  good  ground,  which,  in  all  appears 
alike,  when  it  first  springs  up;  yet  is  tried,  and  the  difference  made 
to  appear,  by  the  burning  heat  of  the  sun. 

Seeing  therefore,  that  these  are  the  things  that  God  makes  use 
of  to  try  us,  it  is  undoubtedly  the  surest  way  for  us  to  pass  a  right 
judgment  on  ourselves,  to  try  ourselves  by  the  same  things.  These 
trials  of  his  are  not  for  his  information,  but  for  ours;  therefore  we 
ought  to  receive  our  information  from  thence.  The  surest  way  to 
know  our  gold,  is  to  look  upon  it  and  examine  it  in  God's  furnace, 
where  he  tries  it  for  that  end,  that  we  may  see  what  it  is.  If  we 
have  a  mind  to  know  whether  a  building  stands  strong  or  not,  we 
must  look  upon  it  whent  he  wind  blows.  If  we  would  know  whe- 
ther that  which  appears  in  the  form  of  wheat,  has  the  real  substance 
of  wheat,  or  be  only  chaff,  we  must  observe  it  when  it  is  winnow- 
ed. If  we  would  know  whether  a  staff  be  strong,  or  a  rotten  broken 
reed,  we  must  observe  it  when  it  is  leaned  on,  and  weight  is  borne 
upon  it.  If  we  would  weigh  ourselves  justly,  we  must  weigh  our- 
selves in  God's  scales,  that  he  makes  use  of  to  weigh  us.f     Tliese 

■}■  Dr.  Sibbs,  in  his  Bruised  Reed,  says,  "  When  Christ's  will  cometh  in 
competition  with  any  worldly  loss  or  gain,  yet,  if  then,  in  that  particular 
case,  the  heart  will  stoop  to  Christ,  it  is  a  true  sign.  For  the  truest  tiial  of  the 
power  of  grace,  is  in  such  particular  cases  as  touch  us  the  nearest;  for  there 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  399 

trials,  in  the  course  of  our  practice,  are  as  it  were  the  balances  in 
which  our  hearts  are  weighed,  or  in  which  Christ  and  the  world, 
or  Christ  and  his  competitors,  as  to  the  esteem  and  regard  they 
have  in  our  hearts,  are  weighed,  or  are  put  into  opposite  scales,  by 


our  corruption  maketh  the  greatest  head.     AVhen  Christ  came  home  to  the 
young  man  in  the  gospel,  he  lost  a  disciple  of  him." 

Mr.  Fiavel  speaks  of  a  holy  practice  under  trials,  as  the  greatest  evidence 
of  grace.  "No  man  (says  lie)  can  say  what  he  is,  whether  his  graces  be 
true  or  false,  until  they  be  tried  and  examined  by  those  things,  which  are  to 
them  as  fire  is  to  gold."  Touchstone  of  Sinceriti/,  chap.  iv.  sect.  1.  Again, 
speaking  of  great  difficulties  and  sufferings  in  the  way  of  duty,  wherein  a 
person  must  actually  part  with  what  is  dearest  of  a  worldly  nature,  or  with 
his  duty;  he  says,  "  That  such  sufferings  as  these  will  discover  the  falseness 
and  rottenness  of  men's  hearts,  can  not  be  doubted;  if  you  consider,  that  this 
is  the  fire  designed  by  God  for  this  very  use  and  purpose,  to  separate  the 
gold  from  the  dross.  So  you  will  find  it,  1  Pet.  iv.  12,  '  Beloved,  think  it 
not  strange  concerning  the  fiery  trial  that  is  to  try  you,*  i.  e.  The  very  de- 
sign and  aim  of  Providence  in  permitting  and  ordering  them,  is  to  try  you. 
Upon  this  account  you  find  the  hour  of  persecution  (in  a  suitable  notion) 
called  the  hour  of  temptation,  or  probation.  Rev.  iii.  10.  For  then  professors 
are  sifted  to  the  very  bran,  searched  to  the  very  bottom  principles.  This 
is  •  the  day  that  burns  as  an  oven;  all  that  do  wickedly  shall  be  as  stubble,' 
Mai.  iv.  i.  For,  in  that  day,  the  predominant  interest  must  appear  and  be 
discovered,  it  can  be  concealed  no  longer.  '  No  man  can  serve  two  masters,' 
saith  Christ,  Luke  xvi.  13.  A  man  may  serve  many  masters,  if  they  all  com- 
mand the  same  thing,  or  things  subordinate  to  each  other;  but  he  can  not 
serve  two  masters,  if  their  commands  clash  and  interfere  with  each  other: 
and  such  are  the  commands  of  Christ  and  the  flesh  in  a  suffering  hour: — 
thus  the  two  interests  come  in  full  opposition.  And  now,  have  but  patience 
and  wait  a  little,  and  you  will  discern  which  is  predominant.  A  dog  follows 
two  men,  while  they  both  walk  one  way,  and  you  know  not  which  of  the  two 
is  his  master:  stay  but  a  little,  until  their  path  parts,  and  then  you  shall 
quickly  see  who  is  his  master:  so  it  is  in  this  case.  And,  in  another  chapter, 
he  says,  '  Great  numbers  of  persons  are  deceived  and  destroyed  by  trusting 
to  seeming  untried  grace.'  This  was  the  miserable  condition  of  the  Laodi- 
cean professors:  they  reckoned  themselves  rich,  but  were  really  poor:  all 
is  not  gold  that  glitters:  their  gold  (as  they  accounted  it)  was  never  tried 
in  the  fire.  If  a  man's  whole  estate  lay  in  some  precious  stone,  suppose  a 
rich  diamond,  Itow  is  he  concerned  to  have  it  thoroughly  tried,  to  see  whether 
it  will  bear  a  smart  stroke  with  the  hammer,  or  fly  like  a  Bristol  diamond!" 
ISid,  chap.  x.  sect.  3.  ,\gain,  in  the  same  place,  "  The  promises  of  salvation 
are  made  over  to  tried  grace,  and  that  only  as  will  endure  the  trial." 


400  TWELFTH  SIGN    OF 

which  there  is  opportunity  to  see  which  preponderates.  When  a 
man  is  brought  to  the  dividing  of  paths,  the  one  of  which  leads  to 
Christ,  and  the  other  to  the  object  of  his  lusts,  to  see  which  way 
he  will  go,  or  is  brought,  and  as  it  were  set  between  Christ  and 
the  world,  Christ  on  the  right  hand,  and  the  world  on  the  left,  so 
that,  if  he  goes  to  one,  he  must  leave  the  other,  to  see  what  his 
heart  inclines  most  to,  or  which  preponderates  in  his  heart;  this 
is  just  the  same  thing  as  laying  Christ  and  the  world  in  two  op- 
posite scales;  and  his  going  to  the  one,  and  leaving  the  other,  is 
just  the  same  thing  as  the  sinking  of  one  scale,  and  rising  of  the 
other.  A  man's  practice,  therefore,  under  the  trials  of  God's 
providence,  is  as  much  the  proper  evidence  of  the  superior  incli- 
nation of  his  heart,  as  the  motion  of  the  balance,  with  different 
weights,  in  opposite  scales,  is  the  proper  experiment  of  the  supe- 
rior weight. 

Argument  III. — Another  argument,  that  holy  practice,  in  the 
sense  which  has  been  explained,  is  the  highest  kind  of  evidence 
of  the  truth  of  grace  to  the  consciences  of  Christians,  is,  that  in 
practice,  grace,  in  scripture  style,  is  said  to  be  made  perfect,  or  to 
be  finished.  So  the  apostle  James  says,  James  ii.  22,  "  Seest 
thou  how  faith  wrought  with  his  works,  and  by  works  was  faith 
made  perfect,  or  finished?"  (as  the  word  in  the  original  properly 
signifies.)  So  the  love  of  God  is  said  to  be  made  perfect,  or 
finished,  in  keeping  his  commandments.  1  John  ii.  4,  5,  "  He 
that  saith,  I  know  him,  and  keepeth  not  his  commandments,  is  a 
liar,  and  the  truth  is  not  in  him:  but,  whoso  keepeth  his  word,  in 

"  The  Lord  will  try  you.  God  halh  his  trying  times:  and  they  were  never 
sent,  but  to  discover  who  were  dross,  who  were  gold.  And  the  main  end 
of  all  God's  trials,  is  to  discover  this  truth  that  I  now  am  pressing  upon  you. 
Some  have  a  thorough  work;  and  now  the  trial  discovers  the  truth^  as  in 
Abraham,  Heb.  xi.  17.  Some  have  a  superficial  work,  and  they  fall  in  trial,  as 
in  Saul;  and  it  doth  discover  it  was  but  an  overly  work.  For  this  is  the  ques- 
tion God  makes,  is  it  thorough  or  not?  Ay,  saith  the  carnal  heart;  Yes,  saith 
A  gracious  heart.  Hence  it  is  strange  to  see  what  men  will  do  when  a  trial 
comes."     Shepard's  Parable,  Part  I.  p.  219. 

"  There  is  an  hour  of  temptation  which  tries  men,  which  will  discover 
men  indee^."    J^id.  Part  II.  p.  60. 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  401 

him  verily  is  the  love  of  God  perfected."  The  commandment  of 
Christ,  which  the  apostle  has  especial  respect  to,  when  he  here 
speaks  of  our  keeping  his  commandments,  is  (as  I  observed  be- 
fore) that  great  commandment  of  his,  which  respects  deeds  of 
love  to  our  brethren,  as  appears  by  the  following  verses.  Again-, 
the  love  of  God  is  said  to  be  perfected  in  the  same  sense,  chap. 
iv.  12,  "  If  we  love  one  another,  God  dwelleth  in  us,  and  his  love 
is  perfected  in  us."  Here,  doubtless,  the  apostle  has  still  respect 
to  loving  one  another,  in  the  same  manner  that  he  had  explained 
in  the  preceding  chapter,  speaking  of  loving  one  another,  as  a  sign 
of  the  love  of  God,  verse  17,  18.  "  Whoso  hath  this  world's 
goods,  and  shutteth  up  his  bowels,  &c.  how  dwelleth  the  love  of 
God  in  him?  My  little  children,  let  us  not  love  in  word,  neither 
in  tongue,  but  in  deed  (or  in  work)  and  in  truth."  By  thus  loving 
in  work,  the  apostle  says,  the  love  of  God  is  perfected  in  us. 
Grace  is  said  to  be  perfected  or  finished  in  holy  practice,  as  therein 
it  is  brought  to  its  proper  effect,  and  to  that  exercise  which  is  the 
end  of  the  principle;  the  tendency  and  design  of  grace  herein  is 
reached,  and  its  operation  completed  and  crowned.  As  the  tree 
is  made  perfect  in  the  fruit;  it  is  not  perfected  in  the  seed's  being 
planted  in  the  ground;  it  is  not  perfected  in  the  first  quickening 
of  the  seed,  and  in  its  putting  forth  root  and  sprout;  nor  is  it  per- 
fected when  it  comes  up  out  of  the  ground;  nor  is  it  perfected 
in  bringing  forth  leaves;  nor  yet  in  putting  forth  blossoms:  but, 
when  it  has  brought  forth  good  ripe  fruit,  then  it  is  perfected, 
therein  it  reaches  its  end,  the  design  of  the  tree  is  finished:  all 
that  belongs  to  the  tree  is  completed  and  brought  to  its  proper 
effect  in  the  fruit.  So  is  grace  in  its  practical  exercises.  Grace 
is  said  to  be  made  perfect  or  finished  in  its  work  or  fruit,  in  the 
same  manner  as  it  is  said  of  sin,  James  i,  15,  "  When  lust  hath 
conceived,  it  bringeth  forth  sin;  and  sin,  when  it  is  finished, 
bringeth  forth  death."  Here  are  three  steps;  first,  sin  in  its 
principle  or  habit,  in  the  being  of  lust  in  the  heart;  and  nextly, 
here  is  its  conceiving,  consisting  in  the  immanent  exercises  of  it 
in  the  mind;  and  lastly,  here  is  the  fruit  that  was  conceived  actu- 
ally brought  forth  in  the  wicked  work  and  practice.     And  this 


402  TWELFTH  SIGN  OP 

the  apostle  calls  the  finishing  or  perfecting  of  sin:  for  the  word, 
in  the  original,  is  the  same  that  is  translated  perfected  in  those 
forementioned  places. 

Now,  certainly  if  it  be  so,  if  grace  be  in  this  manner  made  per- 
fect in  its  fruit,  if  these  practical  exercises  of  grace  are  those  ex- 
ercises wherein  grace  is  brought  to  its  proper  effect  and  end,  and 
the  exercises  wherein  whatsoever  belongs  to  its  design,  tendency, 
and  operation,  is  completed  and  crowned;  then  these  exercises 
must  be  the  highest  evidences  of  grace,  above  all  other  exercises. 
Certainly  the  proper  nature  and  tendency  of  every  principle  must 
appear  best  and  most  fully  in  its  most  perfect  exercises,  or  in  those 
exercises  wherein  its  nature  is  most  completely  exerted,  and  in  its 
tendency  most  fully  answered  and  crowned,  in  its  proper  effect 
and  end.  If  we  would  see  the  proper  nature  of  any  thing  what- 
soever, and  see  it  in  its  full  distinction  from  other  things;  let  us 
look  upon  it  in  the  finishing  of  it.  The  apostle  James  says,  by 
works  is  faith  made  perfect;  and  introduces  this  as  an  argument 
to  prove,  that  works  are  the  chief  evidence  of  faith,  whereby  the 
sincerity  of  the  professors  of  faith  is  justified,  James  ii.  And  the 
apostle  John,  after  he  had  once  and  again  told  us  that  love  was 
made  perfect  in  keeping  Christ's  commandments,  observes,  1 
John  iv.  18,  That  perfect  love  casteth  out  fear;  meaning  (at 
least  in  part)  love  made  perfect  in  this  sense;  agreeable  to  what 
he  had  said  in  the  foregoing  chapter,  "  That,  by  loving  in  deed, 
or  work,  we  know  that  we  are  of  the  truth,  and  shall  assure  our 
hearts,"  verse  18,  19. 

Argument  IV. — Another  thing  which  makes  it  evident,  that 
holy  practice  is  the  principal  evidence  that  we  ought  to  make  use 
of  in  judging  both  of  our  own  and  others'  sincerity,  is,  that  this 
evidence  is  above  all  others  insisted  on  in  scripture.  A  common 
acquaintance  with  the  scripture,  together  with  a  little  attention 
and  observation,  will  be  sufficient  to  show  to  any  one,  that  this 
is  ten  times  more  insisted  on  as  a  note  of  true  piety,  throughout 
the  scripture,  from  the  beginning  of  Genesis  to  the  end  of  Revela- 
tions, than  any  thing  else.  And,  in  the  New  Testament,  where 
Christ  and  his  apostles  do  expressly,  and  of  declared  purpose,  lay 


GRACIOUS   AFFECTIONS.  403 

down  signs  of  true  godliness,  this  is  almost  wholly  insisted  on.  It 
may  be  observed  that  Christ  and  his  apostles,  do  not  only  often 
say  those  things,  in  their  discoursing  of.the  great  doctrines  of  re- 
ligion, which  do  show  what  the  nature  of  true  godliness  must  be, 
or  from  whence  the  nature  and  signs  of  it  may  be  inferred  by  just 
consequence,  and  often  occasionally  mention  many  things  which 
do  appertain  to  godliness;  but  they  do  also  often,  of  set  purpose, 
give  signs  and  marks  for  the  trial  of  professors,  putting  them  upon 
trying  themselves  by  the  signs  they  give,  introducing  what  they 
say,  with  such  like  expressions  as  these:  "  By  this  you  shall  know 
that  you  know  God:  by  this  are  manifest  the  children  of  God  and 
the  children  of  the  devil:  he  that  hath  this  builds  on  a  good  foun- 
dation; he  that  hath  it  not,  builds  on  the  sand:  hereby  we  shall 
assure  our  hearts:  he  is  the  man  that  loveth  Christ,"  &:c.  But  I 
can  find  no  place,  where  either  Christ  or  his  apostles  do,  in  this 
manner,  give  signs  of  godliness,  (though  the  places  are  many)  but 
where  christian  practice  is  almost  the  only  thing  insisted  on.  In- 
deed, in  many  of  these  places,  love  to  the  brethren  is  spoken  of 
as  a  sign  of  godliness;  and  as  I  have  observed  before,  there  is  no 
one  virtuous  afifection  or  disposition,  so  often  expressly  spoken  of 
as  a  sign  of  true  grace,  as  our  having  love  one  to  another.  But 
then  the  scriptures  explain  themselves  to  intend  chiefly  tliis  love 
as  exercised  and  expressed  in  practice,  or  in  deeds  of  love.  So 
does  the  apostle  John,  who,  above  all  others,  insists  on  love  to 
the  brethren  as  a  sign  of  godliness,  most  expressly  explain  him- 
self, in  that  1  John  iii.  14,  &c.  "  We  know  that  we  have  passed 
from  death  unto  life,  because  we  love  the  brethren:  he  that  loveth 
not  his  brother,  abideth  in  death.  Whoso  hath  this  ^vorld's  good, 
and  seeth  his  brother  have  need,  and  shutteth  up  his  bowels  of 
compassion  from  him,  how  dwellcth  the  love  of  God  in  him?  My 
little  children,  let  us  love,  not  in  word,  neither  in  tongue,  but  in  deed 
(i.  e.  in  deeds  of  love)  and  in  truth.  And  hereby  we  know  that 
we  are  of  the  truth,  and  shall  assure  our  hearts  before  him."  So 
that  when  the  scripture  so  much  insists  on  our  loving  one  ano- 
ther, as  a  great  sign  of  godliness,  we  are  not  thereby  to  under- 
stand the  immanent  workings  of  affection  which  men  feci  one  to 

%. 


404  TWELFTH  SIGN  OP 

another,  so  much  as  the  soul's  practising  all  the  duties  of  the  se* 
cond  table  of  the  law;  all  which  the  New  Testament  tells  us 
again  and  again,  a  true  love  one  to  another  comprehends,  Rom. 
xiii.  8,  and  10,  Gal.  v.  14,  Matt.  xxii.  39,  40.  So  that  really 
there  is  no  place  in  the  New  Testament  where  the  declared  de- 
sign is  to  give  signs  of  godliness,  but  that  holy  practice,  and  keep- 
ing Christ's  commandments,  is  the  mark  chosen  out  from  all 
others  to  be  insisted  on.  Which  is  an  invincible  argument,  that 
it  is  the  chief  of  all  the  evidences  of  godliness:  unless  we  suppose 
that  when  Christ  and  his  apostles,  on  design,  set  themselves  about 
this  business  of  giving  signs,  by  which  professing  Christians,  in 
all  ages,  might  determine  their  state,  they  did  not  know  how  to 
choose  signs  so  well  as  we  could  have  chosen  for  them.  But  if 
we  make  the  word  of  Christ  our  rule,  then  undoubtedly  those 
marks  which  Christ  and  his  apostles  did  chiefly  lay  down,  and 
give  to  us,  that  we  might  try  ourselves  by  them,  those  same  marks 
we  ought  especially  to  receive,  and  chiefly  to  make  use  of  in  the 
trial  of  ourselves.!  And  surely  those  things  which  Christ  and 
his  apostles  chiefly  insisted  on  in  the  rules  they  gave,  ministers 
ought  chiefly  to  insist  on  in  the  rules  they  give.  To  insist  much 
on  those  things  that  the  scripture  insists  little  on,  and  to  insist  ve- 
ry little  on  those  things  on  which  the  scripture  insists  much  is  a 
dangerous  thing;  because  it  is  going  out  of  God's  way,  and  is  to 
judge  ourselves,  and  guide  others,  in  an  unscriptural  manner.  God 
knew  which  way  of  leading  and  guiding  souls  was  safest  and  best 
for  them:  he  insisted  so  much  on  some  things,  because  he  knew 
it  to  be  needful  that  they  should  be  insisted  on;  and  let  other 
things  more  alone  as  a  wise  God,  because  he  knew  it  was  not 
best  for  us  so  much  to  lay  the  weight  of  the  trial  there.  As  the 
Sabbath  was  made  for  man,  so  the  scriptures  were  made  for  man; 
and  they  are,  by  infinite  wisdom,  fitted  for  our  use  and  benefit. 
We  should  therefore  make  them  our  guide  in  all  things,  in  our 
thoughts  of  religion  and  of  ourselves.     And  for  us  to  make  that; 

f  "It  is  a  sure  rule,"  says  Dr.  Preston,  "  that  what  the  scriptures  bestow 
much  words  on,  we  should  have  much  thoujjhts  on;  and,  what  the  Holy  Ghost 
urgeth  most,  we  should  prize  most."    Church's  Carriage,- 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  405 

great  which  the  scripture  makes  little,  and  that  little  which  the 
scripture  makes  great,  tends  to  give  us  a  monstrous  idea  of  reli- 
gion; and  (at  least  indirectly  and  gradually)  to  lead  us  wholly 
away  from  the  right  rule,  and  from  a  right  opinion  of  ourselves, 
and  to  establish  delusion  and  hypocrisy. 

Argume:mt  V. — Christian  practice  is  plainly  spoken  of  in  the 
word  of  God,  as  the  main  evidence  of  the  truth  of  grace,  not  only 
to  others,  but  to  mens  own  consciences.     It  is  not  only  more 
spoken  of  and  iusjsted  on  than  other  signs,  but  in  many  places 
where  it  is  spoken  of,  it  is  represented  as  the  chief  of  all  eviden- 
ces. This  is  plain  in  the  manner  of  expression  from  time  to  time. 
If  God  were  now  to  speak  from  heaven  to  resolve  our  doubts  con- 
cerning signs  of  godliness,  and  should  give  some  particular  sign, 
that  by  it  all  might  know  whether  they  were  sincerely  godly  or 
not,  \v\t\\  such  emphatical  expressions  as  these,  the  man  that  has 
such  a  qualification  or  mark,  "  that  is  the  man  that  is  a  true  saint, 
that  is  the  very  man,  by  this  you  may  knoAV,  this  is  the  thing  by 
Tvhich  it  is  manifest  who  are  saints  and  who  are  sinners,  such  men 
as  these  are  saints  indeed;"  should  not  we  look  upon  it  as  a  thing 
beyond  doubt,  that  this  was  given  as  a  special,  and  eminently 
distinguishing  note  of  true  godliness?    But  this  is  the  very  case 
ivith  respect  to  the  sign  of  grace  I  am  speaking  of;  God  has  again 
and  again  uttered  himself  in  his  word  in  this  very  manner,  con- 
cerning christian  practice,  as  John  xiv,  "  he  that  hath  my  com- 
mandments and  keepeth  them,  he  it  is  that  loveth  me."    Thus 
Christ  in  this  place  gives  to  the  disciples,  not  so  much  to  guide 
them  in  judging  of  others,  as  to  apply  to  themselves  for  their  own 
comfort  after  his  departure,  as  appears  by  every  word  of  the  con- 
text.    And  by  the  way  I  would  observe,  that  not  only  the  empha- 
sis with  which  Christ  utters  himself  is  remarkable,  but  also  his 
so  much  insisting  on,  and  repeating  the  matter,  as  he  does  in  the 
context;  verse  15,  "  If  ye  love  me,  keep  my  coijimandments." 
Verse  23,  "  If  a  man  love  me,  he  will  keep  my  words."     And 
verse  24,  "  He  that  loveth  me  not,  keepeth  not  my  sayings." 
And  in  the  next  chapter  over  and  over;  verse  2,  "  Every  branch 
in  me  that  beareth  not  fruit  he  taketh  away;  and  every  branch 
3e 


406  TWELFTH  SIGN    OF 

that  beareth  fruit,  he  purgeth  it;"  verse  8,  "  Herein  is  my  Fa- 
ther glorified,  that  ye  bear  much  fruit,  so  shall  ye  be  my  disci- 
ples;" verse  14,  "  Ye  are  my  friends,  if  ye  do  whatsoever  I  com- 
mand you."     We  have  this  mark  laid  down  with  the  same  em- 
phasis again;  John  viii,  31,  "  If  ye  continue  in  my  word,  then 
are  ye  my  disciples  indeed."     And  again,   1  John  ii.  3,  hereby 
do  we  know  that  we  know  him,  if  we  keep  his  commandments. 
And  verse  5,  "  Whoso  keepeth  his  word,  in  him  verily  is  the 
love  of  God  perfected;  hereby  know  we,  that  we  are  in  him;" 
and  chapter  iii.  18,  19,  "  Let  us  love  in  deed  and  in  truth;  here- 
by we  know  that  we  are  of  the  truth."  What  is  translated  hereby 
would  have  been  a  little  emphatical,  if  it  had  been  rendered  more 
literally  from  the  original,  by  this  we  do  know.     And  how  evi- 
dently is  holy  practice  spoken  as  the  grand  note  of  distinction  be- 
tween the'children  of  God  and  the  children  of  the  devil,  inverse 
10,  of  the  same  chapter?  "  In  this  the  children  of  God  are  ma- 
nifest, and  the  children  of  the  devil."     Speaking  of  a  holy,  and 
a  wicked  practice,  as  may  be  seen  in  all  the  context;  as  verse 
S,  "  Every  man  that  hath  this  hope  in  him,  purifieth  himself, 
even  as  he  is  pure;"  verse  6 — 10,  "  Whosoever  abideth  in  him, 
sinueth  not;  whosoever  sinneth,  hath  not  seen  him,  neither  known 
him.     Little  children,  let  no  man  deceive  you;  he  that  doth 
righteousness,  is  righteous,  even  as  he  is  righteous:  he  that  com- 
mitteth  sin  is  of  the  devil.     Whosoever  is  born  of  God  sinneth 
not.     Whosoever  doth  not  righteousness,  is  not  of  God."    So  we 
have  the  like  emphasis;  2  John,  6,  "This  is  love,  that  we  walk 
after  his  commandments;"  that  is  (as  w-e  must  understand  it) 
this  is  the  proper  evidence  of  love.     So  1  John  v.  iii,    "  This  is 
the  love  of  God,  that  we  keep  his  commandments."  So  the  apos- 
tle James,  speaking  of  the  proper  evidences  of  true  and  pure  re- 
ligion, says,  James  i.  27,  "  Pure  religion  and  undefiled  before 
God  and  the  Father,  is  this,  to  visit  the  fatherless  and  widows  in 
their  affliction,  and  to  keep  himself  unspotted  from  the  world." 
We  have  the  like  emphatical  expressions  used  about  the  same 
thing  in  the  Old  Testament;  Job  xxviii.  28,  "  And  unto  man  he 
said,  Behold,  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  that  is  wisdom,  and  to  depart 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  407 

fii'om  evil  is  understanding;  Jer.  xxii,  15,  16,  "  Did  not  thy  fa- 
ther eat  and  drink,  and  do  judgment  and  justice?  He  judged  the 
cause  of  the  poor  and  needy:  Was  not  this  to  know  me?  saith  the 
Lord;"  Psal.  xxxiv.  11,  &c.  "  Come,  ye  children  unto  me,  and 
I  will  teach  you  the  fear  of  the  Lord:  keep  thy  tongue  from 
evil,  and  thy  lips  from  speaking  guile;  depart  from  evil,  and  do 
good;  seek  peace  and  pursue  it;"  Psal.  xv.  at  the  beginning, 
"Who  shall  abide  in  thy  tabernacle?  Who  shall  dwell  in  thy 
holy  hill?  He  that  walketh  uprightly,"  &c.  Psal.  xxiv.  3,  4, 
"  Who  shall  ascend  into  the  hill  of  the  Lord?  And  who  shall 
stand  in  his  holy  place?  He  that  hath  clean  hands,  and  a  pure 
heart,"  &c.  Psal.  cxix.  1,  "  Blessed  are  the  undefiled  in  the  way, 
who  walk  in  the  law  of  the  Lord."  Verse  vi.  "  Then  shall  I  not 
be  ashamed,  when  I  have  respect  to  all  thy  commandments." 
Prov.  viii.  13,  "  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  to  hate  evil." 

So  the  scripture  never  uses  such  emphatical  expressions  con- 
cerning any  other  signs  of  hypocrisy,  and  unsoundness  of  heart, 
as  concerning  an  unholy  practice.  So  Gal.  vi.  7,  "  Be  not  de- 
ceived; God  is  not  mocked;  for  whatsoever  a  man  soweth,  that 
shall  he  also  reap."  1  Cor.  vi.  9,  10,  "Be  not  deceived;  nei- 
ther fornicators,  nor  idolaters,  &c.  shall  inherit  the  kin2;dom  of 
God."  Eph.  V.  5,  6,  "  For  this  ye  know,  that  no  whoremonger 
nor  unclean  person,  &c.  hath  any  inheritance  in  the  kingdom  of 
Christ,  and  of  God.  Let  no  man  deceive  you  with  vain  words." 
1  John  iii.  7,  8,  "  Little  children,  let  no  man  deceive  you;  he 
that  doth  righteousness  is  righteous,  even  as  he  is  righteous;  he  that 
committeth  sin,  is  of  the  devil."  Chap.  ii.  4, "  He  that  saith,  I 
know  him,  and  keepeth  not  his  commandments,  is  a  liar,  and  the 
truth  is  not  in  him."  And  chap.  i.  6,  "  If  we  say  that  we  have 
fellowship  with  him,  and  walk  in  darkness,  we  lie,  and  do  not  the 
truth."  James  i.  26,  "  If  any  man  among  you  seem  to  be  re- 
ligious, and  bridleth  not  his  tongue,  but  deceiveth  his  own  heart, 
this  man's  religion  is  vain."  Chap,  iii.  14,  15,  "  If  ye  have  bit- 
ter envying  and  strife  in  your  hearts,  glory  not,  and  lie  not  against 
the  truth.  This  wisdom  descendeth  not  from  above,  but  is  earthly, 
sensual,  devilish."   Psal.  cxxv.  5,  "As  for  such  as  turn  aside  unto 


408  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

their  crooked  ways,  the  Lord  shall  lead  them  forth  with  the  work- 
ers of  iniquity."  Isa.  xxxv.  8,  "  A  high  way  shall  he  there,  and  it 
shall  be  called  the  way  of  holiness;  the  unclean  shall  not  pass 
over  it."  Rev.  xxi.  27,  "And  there  shall  in  no  wise  enter  into 
it,  whatsoever  worketh  abomination,  or  maketh  a  lie."  And  in 
many  places,  "  Depart  from  me,  I  know  you  not,  ye  that  work 
iniquity." 

Argument  VI. — Another  thing  which  makes  it  evident,  that 
holy  practice  is  the  chief  of  all  the  signs  of  the  sincerity  of  pro- 
fessors, not  only  to  the  world,  but  to  their  own  consciences  is,  that 
this  is  the  grand  evidence  which  will  hereafter  be  made  use  of, 
before  the  judgment  seat  of  God;  according  to  which  his  judgment 
will  be  regulated,  and  the  state  of  every  professor  of  religion  un- 
alterably determined.  In  the  future  judgment,  there  will  be  an 
open  trial  of  professors  and  evidences  will  be  made  use  of  in  the 
judgment.  For  God's  future  judging  of  men,  in  order  to  their 
eternal  retribution,  will  not  be  his  trying,  and  finding  out,  and 
passing  a  judgment  upon  the  state  of  mens  hearts,  in  his  own  mind; 
but  it  will  be,  a  declarative  judgment;  and  the  end  of  it  will  be, 
not  God's  forming  a  judgment  within  himself,  but  the  manifesta- 
tion of  his  judgment,  and  the  righteousness  of  it,  to  mens  own  con- 
sciences, and  to  the  world.  And  therefore  the  day  of  judgment 
is  called  the  day  of  the  revelation  of  the  righteous  judgment  of 
God,  Rom.  ii.  5.  And  the  end  of  God's  future  trial  and  judgment 
of  men,  as  to  the  part  that  each  one  in  particular  is  to  have  in  the 
judgment,  will  be  especially  the  clear  manifestation  of  God's 
righteous  judgment,  with  respect  to  him,  to  his  conscience;  as  is 
manifest  by  Matt,  xviii.  31,  to  the  end.  Chap.  xx.  8 — 15.  Chap, 
xxii.  11,  12,  13.  Chap.  xxv.  19 — 30,  and  verse  35,  to  the  end. 
Luke  xix.  15 — 23.  And  therefore  though  God  needs  no  medium, 
whereby  to  make  the  truth  evident  to  himself,  yet  evidences  will 
be  made  use  of  in  his  future  judging  of  men.  And  doubtless  the 
evidences  that  will  be  made  use  of  in  their  trial,  will  be  such  as 
will  be  best  fitted  to  serve  the  ends  of  the  judgment;  viz.  the  mani- 
festation of  the  righteous  judgment  of  God,  not  only  to  the  world, 
but  to  mens  own  consciences.     But  the  scriptures  do  abundantly 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  409 

teach  us,  that  the  grand  evidences  which  the  Judge  will  make  use 
gf  in  the  trial,  for  these  ends,  according  to  which  the  judgment  of 
every  one  shall  be  regulated,  and  the  irreversible  sentence  passed, 
will  be  mens  works,  or  practice,  here  in  this  world,  Rev.  xx.  12, 
"  And  I  saw  the  dead,  small  and  great,  stand  before  God;  and  the 
books  were  opened; — and  the  dead  were  judged  out  of  those  things 
which  were  written  in  the  books,  according  to  their  works."  So 
verse  13,  "  And  the  sea  gave  up  the  dead  which  were  in  it;  and 
death  and  hell  gave  up  the  dead  which  were  in  them:  and  they 
were  judged  every  man  according  to  their  works."  2  Cor.  v.  10; 
"  For  we  must  all  appear  before  the  judgment  seat  of  Christ;  that 
every  one  may  receive  the  things  done  in  his  body,  whether  it  be 
good  or  bad."  So  mens  practice  is  the  only  evidence  that  Christ 
represents  the  future  judgment  as  regulated  by,  in  that  most  par- 
ticular description  of  the  day  of  judgment,  which  we  have  in  the 
Holy  Bible,  Matt.  xxv.  at  the  latter  end.     See  also  Rom.  ii.  6, 

13.  Jer.  xvii.  10.  Job  xxxiv.  11.  Prov.xxiv.  12.  Jer.  xxxii.  19. 
Rev.  xxii.  12.  Matt.  xvi.  27.  Rev.  ii.  23.  Ezek.  xxxiii.  20.  1 
Pet.  i.  17.  The  Judge  at  the  day  of  judgment,  will  not  (for  the 
conviction  of  mens  own  consciences,  and  to  manifest  them  to  the 
world)  go  about  to  examine  men,  as  to  the  method  of  their  ex- 
periences, or  set  every  man  to  tell  his  story  of  the  manner  of  his 
conversion;  but  his  works  will  be  brought  forth,  as  evidences  of 
what  he  is,  what  he  has  done  in  darkness  and  in  light,  Eccl.  xii. 

14,  "  For  God  will  bring  every  work  into  judgment,  with  every 
secret  thing,  whether  it  be  good,  or  whether  it  be  evil."  In  the 
trial  that  professors  shall  be  the  subjects  of,  in  the  future  judg- 
ment, God  will  make  use  of  the  same  evidences,  to  manifest  them 
to  themselves  and  to  the  world,  which  he  makes  use  of  to  mani- 
fest them,  in  the  temptations  or  trials  of  his  providence  here,  viz. 
their  practice,  in  cases  wherein  Christ  and  other  things  come  into 
actual  and  immediate  competition.  At  the  day  of  Judgment,  God, 
for  the  manifestation  of  his  righteous  judgment,  will  weigh  pro- 
fessors in  a  balance  that  is  visible.  And  the  balance  will  be  the 
same  that  he  weighs  men  in  now,  which  has  been  already  de- 
scribed. 


410  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

Hence  we  may  undoubtedly  infer,  that  mens  works  (taken  in 
the  sense  that  has  been  explained)  are  the  highest  evidences  by 
which  they  ought  to  try  themselves.  Certainly  that  which  our 
supreme  Judge  will  chiefly  make  use  of  to  judge  us  by,  when  we 
come  to  stand  before  him,  we  should  chiefly  make  use  of  to  judge 
ourselves  by.f  If  it  had  not  been  revealed  in  what  manner,  and 
by  what  evidence  the  Judge  would  proceed  with  us  hereafter,  how 
natural  would  it  be  for  one  to  say,  "  O  that  I  knew  what  token 
God  will  chiefly  look  for  and  insist  upon  in  the  last  and  decisive 
judgment,  and  which  he  expects  that  all  should  be  able  to  pro- 
duce, who  would  then  be  accepted  of  him,  and  according  to  which 
sentence  shall  be  passed;  that  I  might  know  what  token  or  evi- 
dence especially  to  look  at  and  seek  after  now,  as  I  would  be  sure 
not  to  fail  then."  And  seeing  God  has  so  plainly  and  abundantly 
revealed  what  this  token  or  evidence  is,  surely  if  we  act  wisely, 
we  shall  regard  it  as  of  the  greatest  importance. 

Now  from  all  that  has  been  said,  I  think  it  to  be  abundantly 
manifest,  that  christian  practice  is  the  most  proper  evidence  of 
the  gracious  sincerity  of  professors,  to  themselves  and  others;  and 
the  chief  of  all  the  marks  of  grace,  the  sign  of  signs,  and  evidence 

of  evidences,  that  which  seals  and  crowns  all  other  signs 1 

had  rather  have  the  testimony  of  my  conscience,  that  I  have  such 
a  saying  of  my  Supreme  Judge  on  my  side,  as  that,  John  xiv.  21, 
"He  that  hath  my  commandments,  and  keepeth  them,  he  it  is 
that  loveth  me;"  than  the  judgment  and  fullest  approbation  of  all 
the  wise,  sound,  and  experienced  divines,  that  have  lived  this 
thousand  years,  on  the  most  exact  and  critical  examination  of  my 
experiences,  as  to  the  manner  of  my  conversion.  Not  that  there 
are  no  other  good  evidences  of  a  state  of  grace  but  this.  There 
may  be  other  exercises  of  grace,  besides  these  efficient  exercises, 

f  •'  That  which  God  maketh  a  rule  of  his  own  judgment,  as  that  by  which 
he  judgeth  of  every  man,  that  is  a  sure  rule  for  every  man  to  judge  himself 
by.  That  which  we  shall  be  judged  by  at  the  last  day,  is  a  sure  rule  to  apply 
to  ourselves  for  the  present.  Now  by  our  obedience  and  works  he  judgeth 
us.  *  He  will  give  to  every  man  according  to  his  works.*  "  Dr,  J'reston's 
Church's  Carriage, 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  411 

which  the  saints  my  have  in  contemplation,  that  maybe  very'  sat- 
isfying to  them,  but  yet  this  is  the  chief  and  most  proper  evidence. 
There  may  be  several  good  evidences  that  a  tree  is  a  fig-tree;  but 
the  higliest  and  most  proper  evidence  of  it  is,  that  it  actually  bears 
figs.  It  is  possible,  that  a  man  may  have  a  good  assurance  of  a 
state  of  grace,  at  his  first  conversion,  before  he  has  had  opportu- 
nity to  gain  assurance  by  this  great  evidence  I  am  speaking  of. — 
If  a  man  hears  that  a  great  treasure  is  offered  him,  in  a  distant 
place,  on  condition  that  he  will  prize  it  so  much,  as  to  be  willing 
to  leave  what  he  possesses  at  home,  and  go  a  journey  for  it,  over 
the  rocks  and  mountains  that  are  in  the  way,  to  the  place  where 
it  is;  it  is  possible  the  man  may  be  well  assured,  that  he  values 
the  treasure  to  the  degree  spoken  of,  as  soon  as  the  offer  is  made 
him;  he  may  feel  within  him,  a  willingness  to  go  for  the  treasure, 
beyond  all  doubt;  but  yet,  this  does  not  hinder  but  that  his  actual 
going  for  it,  is  the  highest  and  most  proper  evidence  of  his  being 
willing,  not  only  to  others,  but  to  himself.  But  then  as  an  evi- 
dence to  himself,  his  outward  actions,  and  the  motions  of  his  bodj 
in  his  journey,  are  not  considered  alone,  exclusive  of  the  action  of 
his  mind,  and  a  consciousness  within  himself,  of  the  thing  that 
moves  him,  and  the  end  he  goes  for;  otherwise  his  bodily  motion 
is  no  evidence  to  him  of  his  prizing  the  treasure.  In  such  a  man- 
ner is  christian  practice  the  most  proper  evidence  of  a  saving  value 
of  the  pearl  of  great  price,  and  treasure  hid  in  the  field. 

Christian  practice  is  the  sign  of  signs,  in  this  sense,  that  it  is  the 
great  evidence,  which  confirms  and  crowns  all  otiier  signs  of  godli- 
ness. There  is  no  one  grace  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  but  that  christian 
practice  is  the  most  proper  evidence  of  the  truth  of  it.  As  it  is 
with  the  members  of  our  bodies,  and  all  our  utensils,  the  proper 
proof  of  the  soundness  and  goodness  of  Ihem,  is  in  the  use  of  them, 
so  it  is  with  our  graces  (which  are  given  to  be  used  in  practice, 
as  much  as  our  hands  and  feet,  or  the  tools  with  which  we  work, 
or  the  arms  with  which  we  fight)  the  proper  trial  and  proof  of 
them  is  in  their  exercise  in  practice.  Most  of  the  things  we  use 
are  serviceable  to  us,  and  so  have  their  serviceableness  proved,  in 
some  pressure,  straining,  agitation,  or  collision.  So  it  is  with  a  bow, 


412  TWELFTH  SIGN  OP 

a  sword,  an  axe,  a  saw,  a  cord,  a  chain,  a  staff,  a  foot,  a  tooth,  &,c. 
And  they  that  are  so  weak,  as  not  to  bear  the  strain  or  pressure 
we  need  to  put  them  to,  are  good  for  nothing.  So  it  is  with  all 
the  virtues  of  the  mind.  The  proper  trial  and  proof  of  them,  is 
in  being  exercised  under  those  temptations  and  trials  that  God 
brings  us  under,  in  the  course  of  his  providence,  and  in  being 
put  to  such  service  as  strains  hard  upon  the  principles  of  nature. 

Practice  is  the  proper  proof  of  the  true  and  saving  knowledge 
of  God;  as  appears  by  that  of  the  apostle  already  mentioned, 
"  hereby  do  we  know  that  we  know  him,  that  we  keep  his  com- 
mandments." It  is  in  vain  for  us  to  profess  that  we  know  God,  if 
in  works  we  deny  him.  Tit.  i.  16,  "  And  if  we  know  God,  but 
glorify  him  not  as  God;  our  knowledge  will  only  condemn  us,  and 
not  save  us,"  Rom,  i.  21,  The  great  note  of  that  knowledge 
which  saves  and  makes  happy,  is,  that  it  is  practical,  John  xiii. 
17,  "If  ye  know  these  things,  happy  are  ye  if  ye  do  them;"  Job 
xxviii.  28,  "  To  depart  from  evil  is  understanding." 

Holy  practice  is  the  proper  evidence  of  repentance.  When 
the  Jews  professed  repentance,  when  they  came,  confessing  their 
sins,  to  John,  preaching  the  baptism  of  repentance  for  the  re- 
mission of  sins;  he  directed  them  to  the  right  way  of  getting  and 
exhibiting  proper  evidences  of  the  truth  of  their  repentance,  when 
he  said  to  them,  "  Bring  forth  fruits  meet  for  repentance,"  Matth. 
iii.  8.  Which  was  agreeable  to  the  practice  of  the  apostle  Paul; 
see  Acts  xxvi.  20.  Pardon  and  mercy  are  from  time  to  time 
promised  to  him  who  has  this  evidence  of  true  repentance,  that  he 
forsakes  his  sin,  Prov.  xxviii.  13,  and  Isa.  Iv.  7,  and  many  other 
places. 

Holy  practice  is  the  proper  evidence  of  a  saving  faith.  It  is 
evident  that  the  apostle  James  speaks  of  works,  as  what  do  emi- 
nently justify  faith,  or  (which  is  the  same  thing)  justify  the  pro- 
fessors of  faith,  and  vindicate  and  manifest  the  sincerity  of  their 
profession,  not  only  to  the  world,  but  to  their  own  consciences; 
as  is  evident  by  the  instance  he  gives  of  Abraham,  James  ii. 
21 — 24.  And  in  verse  20,  and  26,  he  speaks  of  the  practical 
and  working  nature  of  faith,  as  the  very  life  and  soul  of  it;  in  the 


fiRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  413 

same  manner  that  the  active  nature  and  substance,  which  is  in  the 
body  of  a  man,  is  the  hfe  and  soul  of  that.  And  if  so,  doubtless 
practice  is  the  proper  evidence  of  the  life  and  soul  of  true  faith, 
by  which  it  is  distinguished  from  a  dead  faith.  For  doubtless, 
practice  is  the  most  proper  evidence  of  a  practical  nature,  and 
operation  the  most  proper  evidence  of  an  operative  nature. 

Practice  is  the  best  evidence  of  a  saving  belief  of  the  truth. 
That  is  spoken  of  as  the  proper  evidence  of  the  truth's  being  in  a 
professing  Christian,  that  he  walks  in  the  truth,  3  John  3,  "  I  re- 
joiced greatly  when  the  brethren  came  and  testified  of  the  truth 
that  is  in  thee,  even  as  thou  walkest  in  thfe  truth," 

Practice  is  the  most  proper  evidence  of  a  true  coming  to  Christ, 
and  accepting  of,  and  closing  with  him.  A  true  and  saving 
coming  to  Christ,  is  (as  Christ  often  teaches)  a  coming  so  as  to 
forsake  all  for  him.  And,  as  was  observed  before,  to  forsake  all 
for  Christ  in  heart,  is  the  same  thing  as  to  have  a  heart  actu- 
ally to  forsake  all;  but  the  proper  evidence  of  having  a  heart  ac- 
tually to  forsake  all,  is,  indeed,  actually  to  forsake  all  so  far  as 
called  to  it.  If  a  prince  make  suit  to  a  woman  in  a  far  coun- 
try, that  she  would  forsake  her  own  people,  and  father's  house, 
and  come  to  him  to  be  his  bride;  the  proper  evidence  of  the  com- 
pliance of  her  heart  with  the  king's  suit,  is  her  actually  forsaking 
her  own  people  and  father's  house,  and  coming  to  him.  By  this 
her  compliance  with  the  king's  suit  is  made  perfect,  in  the  same 
sense  that  the  apostle  James  says.  By  works  is  faith  made  per- 
fect.! Christ  promises  us  eternal  life,  on  condition  of  our  coming 
to  him:  but  it  is  such  a  coming  as  he  directed  the  young  man  to, 

f  "Our  real  taking  of  Christ  appears  in  our  actions  and  worksj  Isa.  i.  19. 
If  ye  consent  and  obey,  ye  shall  eat  the  good  things  of  the  land.  That  is. 
If  ye  will  consent  to  take  JEHOVAH  for  your  Lord  and  King:  if  ye  give 
consent;  there  is  the  first  thing:  but  that  is  not  enougii;  but  if  ye  also  obey. 
The  consent  that  standeth  in  the  inward  act  of  the  mind,  the  truth  of  it  will 
be  seen  in  your  obedience,  in  the  acts  of  your  lives.  If  ye  consent  and 
obey,  ye  shall  eat  the  good  things  of  the  land;  that  is,  you  shall  take  of  all 
that  he  hath  that  is  convenient  for  you:  for  then  you  are  married  to  him,  in 
truth,  and  have  an  interest  in  all  his  goods."  Dr.  Preston's  Church's  Car* 
riage. 

3p 


414  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

who  came  to  inquire  what  he  should  do  that  he  might  have  eter- 
nal life;  Christ  bade  him  go  and  sell  all  that  he  had,  and  come 
to  him,  and  follow  him.  If  he  had  consented  in  his  heart  to  the  pro- 
posal, and  had  therein  come  to  Christ  in  his  heart,  the  proper  evi- 
dence of  it  would  have  been  his  doing  of  it;  and  therein  his  com- 
ing to  Christ  would  have  been  made  perfect.  When  Christ  call- 
ed Levi  the  publican,  when  sitting  at  the  receipt  of  custom,  and 
in  the  midst  of  his  worldly  gains,  the  closing  of  Levi's  heart  with 
this  invitation  of  his  Saviour  to  come  to  him,  was  manifested  and 
made  perfect  by  his  actually  rising  up,  leaving  all,  and  following 
him,  Luke  v.  27,  28.  Christ  and  other  things  are  set  before  us 
together,  for  us  practically  to  cleave  to  one  and  forsake  the  other. 
In  such  a  case,  a  practical  cleaving  to  Christ  is  a  practical  accept- 
ance of  Christ;  as  much  as  a  beggar's  reaching  out  his  hand  and 
taking  a  gift  that  is  offered,  is  his  practical  acceptance  of  the  gift. 
Yea,  that  act  of  the  soul  that  is  in  cleaving  to  Christ  in  practice, 
is  itself  the  most  perfect  coming  of  the  soul  to  Christ, 

Practice  is  the  most  proper  evidence  of  trusting  in  Christ  for 
salvation.  The  proper  signification  of  the  word  trust,  according 
to  the  more  ordinary  use  of  it,  both  in  common  speech  and  in  the 
holy  scriptures,  is  the  emboldening  and  encouragement  of  a  person's 
mind,  to  run  some  venture  in  practice,  or  in  something  that  he  does 
on  tlie  credit  of  another's  sufficiency  and  faithfulness.  And  there- 
fore the  proper  evidence  of  his  trusting,  is  the  venture  he  runs  in 
what  he  does.  He  is  not  properly  said  to  run  any  venture,  in  a 
dependence  on  any  thing,  that  does  nothing  on  that  dependence, 
or  whose  practice  is  no  otherwise  than  if  he  had  no  dependence.  For 
a  man  to  run  a  venture  on  a  dependence  on  another,  is  for  him  to 
do  something  from  that  dependence  by  which  he  seems  to  expose 
himself,  and  which  he  would  not  do,  were  it  not  for  that  depend- 
ence. And,  therefore,  it  is  in  complying  with  the  difficulties  and 
seeming  dangers  of  christian  practice,  in  a  dependence  on  Christ's 
sufficiency  and  faithfulness  to  bestow  eternal  life,  that  persons  are 
said  to  venture  themselves  upon  Christ,  and  trust  in  him  for  hap- 
piness and  life.  They  depend  on  such  promises  as  that.  Matt,  x, 
39,  "  He  that  loseth  his  life  for  my  sake,  shall  find  it."     And  so 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  415 

the^  part  with  all,  and  venture  their  all,  in  a  dependence  on 
Christ's  sufficiency  and  truth.  And  this  is  the  scripture  notion 
of  trusting  in  Christ,  in  the  exercise  of  a  saving  faith  in  him. 
Thus  Ahraham,  the  father  of  believers,  trusted  in  Christ,  and  by 
faith  forsook  his  own  country,  in  a  reliance  on  the  covenant  of 
grace  God  established  with  him;  Heb.  xi.  8,  9.  Thus  also,  "  Mo- 
ses, by  faith  refused  to  be  called  the  son  of  Pharaoh's  daughter, 
choosing  rather  to  suffer  affliction  with  the  people  of  God,  than  to 
enjoy  the  pleasures  of  sin  for  a  season,"  Heb.  xi.  23,  &c.  So  by 
faith,  others  exposed  themselves  to  be  stoned  and  sawn  asunder 
or  slain  with  the  sword;  "  endured  the  trial  of  cruel  mockings 
and  scourgings,  bonds  and  imprisonments,  and  wandered  about  in 
sheep  skins  and  goat  skins,  being  destitute,  afflicted,  tormented." 
And  in  this  sense,  the  apostle  Paul,  by  faith,  trusted  in  Christ; 
and  committed  himself  to  him,  venturing  himself  and  his  whole 
interest,  in  a  dependence  on  the  ability  and  faithfulness  of  his  Re- 
deemer, under  great  persecutions,  and  in  suffering  the  loss  of  all 
things,  2  Tim.  i.  12,  "  for  the  which  cause  I  also  suffer  these 
things;  nevertheless,  I  am  not  ashamed,  for  I  know  whom  I  have 
believed,  and  I  am  persuaded,  that  he  is  able  to  keep  that  which 
I  have  committed  unto  him  against  that  day." 

If  a  man  should  have  word  brought,  him  from  the  king  of  a 
distant  island,  that  he  intended  to  make  him  his  heir,  if,  upon  re- 
ceiving the  tidings,  he  immediately  leaves  his  native  land  and 
friends,  and  all  that  he  has  in  the  world,  to  go  to  that  country,  in 
a  dependence  on  what  he  hears,  then  he  may  be  said  to  venture 
himself,  and  all  that  he  has  in  the  world  upon  it.  JSut,  if  he  only 
sits  still,  and  hopes  for  the  promised  benefit,  inwardly  pleasing 
himself  with  the  thoughts  of  it;  he  can  not  properly  be  said  to 
venture  himself  upon  it;  he  runs  no  venture  in  the  case;  he  does 
nothing,  otherwise  than  he  would  do,  if  he  had  received  no  such 
tidings,  by  which  he  would  be  exposed  to  any  suffering  in  case  all 
should  fail.  So  he  that,  on  the  credit  of  what  he  hears  of  a  future 
world,  and,  in  a  dependence  on  the  report  of  the  gospel,  concern- 
ing life  and  immortality,  forsakes  all,  or  does  so  at  least,  so  far  as 
tliere  is  occasion,  making  every  thing  entirely  give  place  to  his 


416  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

eternal  interest;  he,  and  he  only,  may  properly  be  said  to  venture 
himself  on  the  report  of  the  gospel.  And  this  is  the  proper  evi- 
dence of  a  true  trust  in  Christ  for  salvation. 

Practice  is  the  proper  evidence  of  a  gracious  love,  both  to  God 
and  men.  The  texts  that  plainly  teach  this,  have  been  so  often 
mentioned  already,  that  it  is  needless  to  repeat  them. 

Practice  is  the  proper  evidence  of  humility.  That  expression, 
and  manifestation  of  humility  of  heart,  which  God  speaks  of,  as 
the  great  expression  of  it,  that  he  insists  on;  that  we  should  look 
upon  as  the  proper  expression  and  manifestation  of  it:  but  this  is 
walking  humbly.  Mieah  vi.  8,  "  He  hath  showed  thee,  0  man 
what  is  good,  and  what  doth  the  Lord  require  of  thee,  but  to  do 
justly,  to  love  mercy,  and  to  walk  humbly  with  thy  God." 

This  is  also  the  proper  evidence  of  the  true  fear  of  God,  Prov. 
viii.  13,  "  The  fear  of  the  Lord  is  to  hate  evil,"  Psal.  xxxiv.  11, 
&c.  "  Come,  ye  children,  hearken  unto  me,  and  I  will  teach  you 
he  fear  of  the  Lord.  Keep  thy  tongue  from  evil,  and  thy  lips 
from  speaking  guile:  depart  from  evil,  and  do  good;  seek  peace 
and  pursue  it."  Prov.  iii.  7,  "  Fear  the  Lord,  and  depart  from 
evil;"  Prov.  xvi.  6,  "By  the  fear  of  the  Lord,  men  depart  from 
evil."  Job.  i.  8,  "  Hast  thou  considered  my  servant  Job — a  per- 
fect and  an  upright  man,  one  that  feareth  God,  and  escheweth 
evil?"  Chap.  ii.  3,  "Hast thou  considered  my  servant  Job — a 
perfect  and  an  upright  man,  one  that  feareth  God,  and  escheweth 
evil?  And  still  he  holdeth  fast  his  integrity,  although  thou  movedst 
me  against  him."  Psal.  xxxvi.  1,  "The  transgression  of  the 
wicked  saith  within  my  heart,  There  is  no  fear  of  God  before  his 
eyes." 

So  practice,  in  rendering  again  according  to  benefits  received. 
is  the  proper  evidence  of  true  thankfulness.  Psal.  cxvi.  12, 
"  Wliat  shall  I  render  to  the  Lord  for  all  his  benefits  towards  me?" 
2  Chron.  xxxii.  25,  "  But  Hezekiah  rendered  not  again  accord- 
ing to  the  benefit  done  unto  him."  Paying  our  vows  unto  God, 
and  ordering  our  conversation  aright,  seem  to  be  spoken  of  as  the 
proper  expression  and  evidence  of  true  thankfulness,  in  the  50th 
Psalm,  verse  14,  "  Offer  unto  God  thanksgiving,  and  pay  thy  vows 


GRACIOUS    AFFEGTIONS.  417 

unto  the  Most  High."  Verse  23,  "  Whoso  offereth  praise,  glori- 
fieth  me:  and  to  him  that  ordereth  his  conversation  aright,  will  I 
show  the  salvation  of  God." 

So  the  proper  evidence  of  gracious  desires  and  longings,  and 
that  which  distinguishes  them  from  those  that  are  false  and  vain, 
is,  that  they  are  not  idle  wishes  and  wouldings  like  Balaam's;  hut 
effectual  in  practice,  to  stir  up  persons  earnestly  and  thoroughly 
to  seek  the  things  they  long  for.  Psalm  xxvii.  4,  "  One  thing  have 
I  desired  of  the  Lord,  that  will  I  seek  after."  Psal.  Ixiii.  1,  2, 
"  0  God,  thou  art  my  God,  early  will  I  seek  thee:  my  soul  thirst- 
eth  for  thee,  my  flesh  longeth  for  thee  in  a  dry  and  thirsty  land, 
where  no  water  is,  to  see  thy  power  and. thy  glory."  Verse  8, 
"  My  soul  followeth  hard  after  thee."  Cant.  i.  4,  "  Draw  me, 
we  will  run  after  thee." 

Practice  is  the  proper  evidence  of  a  gracious  hope.  1  John  iii. 
3,  "  Every  man  that  hath  this  hope  in  him,  purifieth  himself  even 
as  he  is  pure."  Patient  continuance  in  well  doing,  through  the 
difficulties  and  trials  of  the  christian  course,  is  often  mentioned  as 
the  proper  expression  and  fruit  of  a  christian  hope,  1  Thess.  i.  3, 
*'  Remembering  without  ceasing  your  work  of  faith,  and  labour  of 
love,  and  patience  of  hope."  1  Pet.  i.  13,  14,  "  Wherefore,  gird 
up  the  loins  of  your  mind,  be  sober,  and  hope  to  the  end,  for  the 
grace  that  is  to  be  brought  unto  you  at  the  revelation  of  Jesus 
Christ,  as  obedient  children,"  &c.  Psal.  cxix.  166,  "  Lord,  I  have 
hoped  in  thy  salvation,  and  done  thy  commandments,"  Psal. 
Ixxviii.  7,  "That  they  might  set  their  hope  in  God,  and  not  for- 
get the  works  of  the  Lord,  but  keep  his  commandments." 

A  cheerful  practice  of  our  duty,  and  doing  the  will  of  God,  is 
the  proper  evidence  of  a  truly  holy  joy.  Isa.  Ixiv.  5,  "  Thou 
meetest  him  that  rejoiceth,  and  worketh  righteousness,"  Psal. 
cxix.  Ill,  112,  "  Thy  testimonies  have  I  taken  for  my  heritage 
for  ever;  for  they  are  the  rejoicings  of  my  heart.  I  have  inclined 
mine  heart  to  perform  thy  statutes  alway,  even  to  the  end."  Verse 
14,  "I  have  rejoiced  in  the  way  of  thy  testimonies  as  much  as  in 
all  riches."    1  Cor.  xiii.  6,   "  Charity  rejoiceth  not  in  iniquity. 


418  TWELFTH  SIGN  OP 

but  rejoiceth  in  the  truth."  2  Cor.  viii.  2,  "  The  abundance  of 
their  joy  abounded  unto  the  riches  of  their  liberality." 

Practice  also  is  the  proper  evidence  of  christian  fortitude.  The 
trial  of  a  good  soldier  is  not  in  his  chimney  corner,  but  in  the  field 
of  battle,  1  Cor.  ix.  25,  26.  2  Tim.  ii.  3,  4,  5. 

And,  as  the  fruit  of  holy  practice  is  the  chief  evidence  of  the 
truth  of  grace,  so  the  degree  in  which  experiences  have  influence 
on  a  person's  practice,  is  the  surest  evidence  of  the  degree  of  that 
which  is  spiritual  and  divine  in  his  experiences.  Whatever  pre- 
tences persons  may  make  to  great  discoveries,  great  love  and  joys, 
they  are  no  further  to  be  regarded  than  they  have  influence  on 
their  practice.  Not  but  that  allowances  must  be  made  for  the 
natural  temper.  But  that  does  not  hinder,  but  that  the  degree  of 
grace  is  justly  measured  by  the  degree  of  the  effect  in  practice. 
For  the  effect  of  grace  is  as  great,  and  the  alteration  as  remarka- 
ble, in  a  very  ill  natural  temper,  as  another.  Although  a  person 
of  such  a  temper  will  not  behave  himself  so  well,  with  the  same 
degree  of  grace  as  another,  the  diversity  from  what  was  before 
conversion,  may  be  as  great;  because  a  person  of  a  good  natural 
temper  did  not  behave  himself  so  ill  before  conversion. 

Thus  I  have  endeavoured  to  represent  the  evidence  there  is, 
that  christian  practice  is  the  chief  of  all  the  signs  of  saving  grace. 
And,  before  I  conclude  this  discourse,  I  would  say  something  briefly 
in  answer  to  two  objections  that  may  possibly  be  made  by  some 
against  what  has  been  said  upon  this  head. 

Objection  I. — Some  may  be  read  to  say,  this  seems  to  be  con- 
trary to  that  opinion,  so  much  received  among  good  people;  that 
professors  should  judge  of  their  state,  chiefly  by  their  inward  ex- 
perience, and  that  spiritual  experiences  are  the  main  evidences  of 
true  grace. 

I  answer,  it  is  doubtless  a  true  opinion,  and  justly  much  re- 
ceived among  good  people,  that  professors  should  chiefly  judge  of 
their  state  by  their  experience.  But  it  is  a  great  mistake,  that 
what  has  been  said  is  at  all  contrary  to  that  opinion.  The  chief 
sign  of  grace  to  the  consciences  of  Christians,  being  christian 
practice,  in  the  sense  that  has  been  explained,  and  according  to 


CRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  419 

what  has  been  shown  to  be  the  true  notion  of  christian  practice, 
is  not  at  all  inconsistent  with  christian  experience  being  the  chief 
evidence  of  grace.  Christian  or  holy  practice  is  spiritual  prac- 
tice; and  that  is  not  the  motion  of  a  body  that  knows  not  how, 
nor  when,  nor  wherefore  it  moves:  but  spiritual  practice  in  man 
is  the  practice  of  a  spirit  and  body  jointly,  or  the  practice  of  a 
spirit  animating,  commanding,  and  actuating  a  body  to  which  it 
is  united,  and  over  which  it  has  power  given  it  by  the  Creator. 
And,  therefore,  the  main  thing  in  this  holy  practice,  is  the  holy 
action  of  the  mind,  directing  and  governing  the  motions  of  the 
body.  And  the  motions  of  the  body  are  to  be  looked  upon  as 
belonging  to  christian  practice,  only  secondarily,  and  as  they  are 
dependent  and  consequent  on  the  acts  of  the  soul.  The  exerci- 
ses of  grace  that  Christians  find,  or  are  conscious  to  within  them- 
selves, are  what  they  experience  within  themselves  ;  and  hereia 
therefore  lies  christian  experience  :  and  this  christian  experi- 
ence consists  as  much  in  those  operative  exercises  of  grace  in  the 
will  that  are  immediately  concerned  in  the  management  of  the 
behaviour  of  the  body,  as  in  other  exercises.  These  inward  ex- 
ercises are  not  the  less  a  part  of  christian  experience,  because 
they  have  outward  behaviour  immediately  connected  with  them. 
A  strong  act  of  love  to  God,  is  not  the  less  a  part  of  spiritual  ex- 
perience, because  it  is  the  act  that  immediately  produces  and  ef- 
fects some  selfish  denying  and  expensive  outward  action,  which  is 
much  to  the  honour  and  glory  of  God. 

To  speak  of  christian  experience  and  practice,  as  if  they  were 
two  things,  properly  and  entirely  distinct,  is  to  make  a  distinction 
without  consideration  or  reason.  Indeed,  all  christian  experience 
is  not  properly  called  practice,  but  all  christian  practice  is  pro- 
perly experience.  And  the  distinction  that  is  made  between  them, 
is  not  only  an  unreasonable,  but  an  unscriptural  distinction.  Holy 
practice  is  one  kind  or  part  of  christian  experience;  and  both 
reason  and  scripture  represent  it  as  the  chief  and  most  important 
and  most  distinguishing  part  of  it.  So  it  is  represented  in  Jer.  xxii. 
15,  16,  "  Did  not  thy  father  eat  and  drink,  and  do  justice  and 
judgment?     He  judged  the  cause  of  the  poor  and  needy:  was  not 


420  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

this  to  know  me,  saith  the  Lord?"  Our  inward  acquaintance 
with  God  surely  belongs  to  the  head  of  experimental  religion:  but 
this,  God  represents  as  consisting  chiefiv  in  that  experience  which 
there  is  in  holy  practice.  So  the  exercises  of  those  graces  of  the 
love  of  God,  and  the  fear  of  God,  are  a  part  of  experimental  re- 
ligion: but  these  the  scripture  represents  as  consisting  chiefly  in 
practice,  in  those  forementioned  texts,  1  John  v.  3,  "  This  is  the 
love  of  God,  that  we  keep  his  commandments."  2  John  6, 
"  This  is  love,  that  we  walk  after  his  commandments."  Psal. 
xxxiv.  11,  &c.  "  Come,  ye  children,  and  I  will  teach  you  the  fear 
of  the  Lord:  depart  from  evil,  and  do  good."  Such  experiences 
as  these  Hezekiah  took  comfort  in,  chiefly  on  his  sick  bed,  when 
he  said,  "  Remember,  0  Lord,  I  beseech  thee,  how  I  have  walked 
before  thee  in  truth,  and  with  a  perfect  heart."  And  such  expe- 
riences as  these,  the  psalmist  chiefly  insists  upon,  in  the  119th 
Psalm,  and  elsewhere. 

Such  experiences  as  these  the  apostle  Paul  mainly  insists  upon, 
when  he  speaks  of  his  experiences  in  his  epistles;  as,  Rom,  i.  9, 
"  God  is  my  witness,  whom  I  serve  with  my  spirit  in  the  gospel 
of  his  Son,  2  Cor.  i.  12;  For  our  rejoicing  is  this,  the  testimony 
of  our  conscience,  that — by  the  grace  of  God,  we  have  had  our 
conversation  in  the  world,  chap.  iv.  13,  We  having  the  same 
spirit  of  faith,  according  as  it  is  written,  I  have  believed,  and 
therefore  have  I  spoken;  we  also  believe,  and  therefore  speak, 
chap.  V.  7,  We  walk  by  faith,  not  by  sight,  ver.  14,  The  love  of 
Christ  constraineth  us,  chap,  vi,  4 — 7,  In  all  things  approving 
ourselves  as  the  ministers  of  God,  in  much  patience,  in  afflictions, 
in  necessities,  in  distresses,  in  labours,  in  watchings,  in  fastings. 
By  pureness,  by  knowledge,  by  kindness,  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  by 
love  unfeigned,  by  the  power  of  God,  Gal.  ii.  20,  I  am  crucified 
with  Christ:  nevertheless  I  live;  yet  not  I,  but  but  Christ  liveth 
in  me:  and  the  life,  which  I  now  live  in  the  flesh,  I  live  by  the 
faith  of  the  Son  of  God,  Phil.  iii.  7,  8,  But  what  things  were  gain 
to  me,  those  I  counted  loss  for  Christ.  Yea,  doubtless,  and  I 
count  all  things  but  loss,  for  the  excellency  of  the  knowledge  of 
Christ  Jesus  my  Lord,  and  do  count  them  but  dung  that  I  may 


GRACIOUS  AFFF.C    IONS.  421 

Win  Christ,  Col.  i.  29,  Whereunto  I  also  kbour,  striving  accord- 
ing to  his  working,  wiiich  vvorkeUi  in  me  mightily,  1  Thes.  ii.  2, 
We  were  bold  in  God,  to  speak  unto  you  the  gospel  of  God  with 
much  contention,  verse  8,  9,  10,  Being  affectionately  desirous 
of  you,  we  were  willing  to  have  imparted  unto  you,  not  the  gospel 
of  God  only,  but  also  our  own  souls,  because  ye  were  dear  unto 
us.  For  ye  remember,  brethren,  our  labour  and  travail,  labouring 
night  and  day.  Ye  are  witnesses,  and  God  also,  how  holily,  and 
justly,  and  unblameably,  we  behaved  ourselves  among  you."  And 
such  experiences  as  these  they  were,  that  this  blessed  apostle 
t;hiefly  comforted  himself  in  the  consideration  of,  wlxen  he  was 
going  to  martyrdom,  2  Tim.  iv.  6,  7,  "  For  I  am  now  ready  to 
be  offered,  and  the  time  of  my  departure  is  at  hand.  I  have 
fought  a  good  fight,  I  have  finished  my  course,  I  have  kept  the 
faith." 

And  not  only  does  the  most  important  and  distinguishing  part 
of  christian  experience  lie  in  spiritual  practice;  but  such  is  the 
nature  of  that  sort  of  exercises  of  grace,  wherein  spiritual  practice 
consists,  that  nothing  is  so  properly  called  by  the  name  of  experi- 
mental religion.  For,  that  experience,  which  is  in  these  exer- 
cises of  grace,  that  are  found  and  prove  effectual  at  the  very  point 
of  trial,  wherein  God  proves,  which  we  will  actually  cleave  to, 
whether  Christ  or  our  lusts,  is  as  has  been  shown  already,  the 
proper  experiment  of  the  truth  and  power  of  our  godliness;  wherein 
its  victorious  power  and  efficacy,  in  producing  its  proper  efiect, 
and  reaching  its  end,  is  found  by  experience.  This  is  properly 
christian  experience,  wherein  the  saints  have  opportunity  to  see, 
by  actual  experience  and  trial,  whether  they  have  a  heart  to  do 
the  will  of  God,  and  to  forsake  other  things  for  Christ,  or  not.  As 
that  is  called  experimental  philosophy  which  brings  opinions  and 
notions  to  the  test  of  fact,  so  is  that  properly  called  experimental 
religion,  which  brings  religious  affections  and  intentions  to  the  like 
test. 

There  is  a  sort  of  external  religious  practice,  wherein  is  no  in- 
ward experience,  which  no  account  is  made  of  in  the  sight  of 
God,  but  it  is  esteemed  good  for  nothing.     And  there  is  what  is 


423  TWELFTH  SIGN  OP 

called  experience,  that  is  without  practice,  being  neither  accom- 
panied nor  followed  with  a  christian  behaviour;  and  this  is  worse 
than  nothing.  Many  persons  seem  to  have  very  wrong  notions  of 
christian  experience  and  spiritual  light  and  discoveries.  Whenever 
a  person  finds  within  him  a  heart  to  treat  God  as  God,  at  the  time 
that  he  has  the  trial,  and  finds  his  disposition  effectual  in  the  ex- 
periment, that  is  the  most  proper,  and  most  distinguishing  expe- 
rience. And  to  have,  at  such  a  time,  that  sense  of  divine  things, 
that  apprehension  of  the  truth,  importance  and  excellency  of  the 
things  of  religion,  which  then  sways  and  prevails,  and  governs  his 
heart  and  hands;  this  is  the  most  excellent  spiritual  light,  and  these 
are  the  most  distinguishing  discoveries.  Religion  consists  much 
in  holy  affection;  but  those  exercises  of  affection  which  are  most 
distinguishing  of  true  religion,  are  these  practical  exercises. 
Friendship  between  earthly  friends  consists  much  in  affection; 
but  yet,  those  strong  exercises  of  affection,  that  actually  carry  them 
through  fire  and  water  for  each  other,  are  the  highest  evidences 
of  true  friendship. 

There  is  nothing  in  what  has  been  said,  contrary  to  what  is 
asserted  by  some  sound  divines;  when  they  say,  that  there  are  no 
sure  evidences  of  grace,  but  the  acts  of  grace.  For  that  doth  not 
hinder,  but  that  these  operative,  productive  acts,  those  exercises 
of  grace  that  are  effiectual  in  practice,  may  be  the  highest  evidences 
above  all  other  kinds  of  acts  of  grace.  Nor  does  it  hinder,  but 
that,  when  there  are  many  of  these  acts  and  exercises,  following 
one  another  in  a  course^  under  various  trials  of  every  kind,  the 
evidence  is  still  heightened;  as  one  act  confirms  another.  A  man, 
once  by  seeing  his  neighbour,  may  have  good  evidence  of  his  pre- 
sence; but  by  seeing  him  from  day  to  day,  and  conversing  with 
him,  in  a  course  in  various  circumstances,  the  evidence  is  esta- 
blished. The  disciples,  when  they  first  saw  Christ,  after  his  re- 
surrection, had  good  evidence  that  he  was  alive;  but,  by  convers- 
ing with  him  for  forty  days,  and  his  showing  himself  to  them  alive 
by  many  infallible  proofs,  they  had  yet  higher  evidence.! 

f  "  The  more  tliese  visible  exercises  of  grace  are  renewed,  the  more  cer- 
fain  you  will  be.    The  more  frequently  these  actions  are  renewed,  the  more 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  423 

The  witness  or  seal  of  the  Spirit  that  we  read  of,  doubtless  con- 
sists in  the  effect  of  the  Spirit  of  God  in  the  heart,  in  the  impbn- 
tation  and  exercises  of  grace  there,  and  so  consists  in  experience. 
And  it  is  also  beyond  doubt,  that  this  seal  of  the  Spirit,  is  the  high- 
est kind  of  evidence  of  the  saints'  adoption,  that  ever  they  obtain. 
But  in  these  exercises  of  grace  in  practice,  that  have  been  spoken 
of,  God  gives  witness,  and  sets  to  his  seal,  in  the  most  conspicu- 
ous, eminent,  and  evident  manner.  It  has  been  abundantly  found 
to  be  true  in  fact,  by  the  experience  of  the  christian  church,  that 
Christ  commonly  gives,  by  his  Spirit,  the  greatest  and  most  joyful 
evidences  to  his  saints  of  their  sonship,  in  those  effectual  ex- 
ercises of  grace  under  trials,  which  have  been  spoken  of;  as  is 
manifest  in  the  full  assurance,  and  unspeakable  joys  of  many  of 
the  martyi's.  Agreeable  to  that,  1  Pet.  iv.  14,  "If  ye  are  re- 
proached for  the  name  of  Christ,  happy  are  ye;  for  the  Spirit  of 
glory,  and  of  God  resteth  upon  you."  And  that  in  Rom.  v.  2,  3, 
"  We  rejoice  in  hope  of  the  glory  of  God,  and  glory  in  tribula- 
tions." And  agreeable  to  what  the  apostle  Paul  often  declares  of 
what  he  experienced  in  his  trials.  And  when  the  apostle  Peter, 
in  my  text,  speaks  of  the  joy  unspeakable,  and  full  of  glory,  which 
the  Christians  to  whom  he  wrote,  experienced;  he  has  respect  to 
what  they  found  under  persecution,  as  appears  by  the  context. 
Christ's  thus  manifesting  himself,  as  the  friend  and  saviour  of  his 
saints,  cleaving  to  him  under  trials,  seems  to  have  been  repre- 

abiding  and  confirmed  your  assurance  will  be.  A  man  that  has  been  assured 
of  such  visible  exercises  of  grace,  may  quickly  after  be  in  doubt  whether 
he  was  not  mistaken.  But  when  such  actings  are  renewed  again  and  again, 
he  grows  more  settled  and  established  about  his  good  estate.  If  a  man  see 
a  thing  once,  that  makes  him  sure:  but,  if  afterwards,  he  fear  he  was  de- 
ceived, when  he  comes  to  see  it  again,  he  is  more  sure  he  was  not  mistaken, 
if  a  man  read  such  passages  in  a  book,  he  is  sure  it  is  so.  Some  months 
after,  some  may  bear  him  down,  that  he  was  mistaken,  so  as  to  make  him 
question  it  himself;  but,  when  he  looks  and  reads  it  again,  he  is  abundantly 
confirmed.  *  The  more  mens  grace  is  multiplied,  the  more  their  peace  is 
multiplied,'  2  Pet.  i.  2.  '  Grace  and  peace  be  multiplied  unto  you,  through 
the  knowledge  of  God,  and  Jesus  our  liOrd.'  "  Stodt^iuPi  Way  to  KnQ-.v 
Sincerity  and  Hypocrisy. 


4S4  TWELFTH    SIGN    OF 

senteJ  of  old,  by  liIs  coming  and  manifesting  himself,  to  Sliadracli, 
Meshach  and  iVbednego,  in  the  furnace.  And  when  the  apostlo 
speaks  of  the  witness  of  the  Spirit,  in  Rom.  viii.  15,  16,  17,  he 
has  a  more  immediate  respect  to  what  the  Christians  experienced, 
in  their  exercises  of  love  to  God,  in  sutfering  persecution;  as  is 
plain  by  the  context.  He  is,  in  the  foregoing  verses,  encouraging 
the  christian  Romans  under  their  sufferings,  that  though  their 
bodies  be  dead,  because  of  sin,  yet  they  should  be  raised  to  life 
again.  But  it  is  more  especially  plain  by  the  verse  immediately 
following,  verse  18,  "  For  I  reckon,  that  the  sufferings  of  this 
present  time,  are  not  worthy  to  be  compared  with  the  glory  that 
shall  be  revealed  in  us."  So  the  apostle  has  evidently  respect  to 
their  persecutions  in  all  that  he  says  to  the  end  of  the  chapter. 
So  when  the  apostle  speaks  of  the  earnest  of  the  Spirit,  which 
God  had  given  to  him,  in  2  Cor.  v.  5,  the  context  shows  plainly 
that  he  has  respect  to  what  was  given  him  in  his  great  trials  and 
sufferings.  And  in  that  promise  of  the  white  stone,  and  new  name, 
to  him  that  overcomes.  Rev.  ii.  17,  it  is  evident  Christ  has  a  spe- 
cial respect  to  a  benefit  that  Christians  should  obtain,  by  over- 
coming. In  the  trial  they  had,  in  that  day  of  persecution.  This 
appears  by  verse  13,  and  many  other  passages  in  this  epistle  to  the 
seven  churches  of  Asia. 

Objection  II. — Some  also  maybe  ready  to  object  against  what 
has  been  said  of  christian  practice  being  the  chief  evidence  of  the 
truth  of  grace,  that  this  is  a  legal  doctrine;  and  that  this  making 
practice  a  thing  of  such  great  importance  in  religion,  magnifies 
works,  and  tends  to  lead  men  to  make  too  much  of  their  own  do- 
ings, to  the  diminution  of  the  glory  of  free  grace,  and  does  not 
seem  well  to  consist  with  the  great  gospel  doctrine  of  justification 
by  faith  alone. 

But  this  objection  is  altogether  without  reason.  Which  way  is 
it  inconsistent  with  the  freeness  of  God's  grace,  that  holy  practice 
should  be  a  sign  of  God's  grace  :  it  is  our  works  being  the  price 
of  God's  favour,  and  not  their  being  the  sign  of  it,  that  is  the  thing 
which  is  inconsistent  with  the  freeness  of  that  favour.  Surely  the 
beggary's  looking  on  the  money  he  has  in  his  hands,  as  a  sign  of 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  425 

the  kindness  of  him  who  gave  it  to  him,  is  in  no  respect  incon- 
sistent with  the  freeness  of  that  iiindness.  It  is  his  having  money 
in  his  hands  as  the  price  of  a  benefit,  that  is  the  thing  which  is  in- 
consistent with  the  free  kindness  of  the  giver.  The  notion  of  the 
freeness  of  the  grace  of  God  to  sinners,  as  that  is  revealed  and 
taught  in  the  gospel,  is  not  that  no  holy  and  amiable  qualifications 
or  actions  in  us  shall  be  a  fruit,  and  so  a  sign  of  that  grace;  but 
that  it  is  not  the  worthiness  or  loveliness  of  any  qualification  or  ac- 
tion of  ours  which  recommends  us  to  that  grace;  that  kindness  is 
shown  to  the  unworthy  and  unlovely;  there  is  great  excellency  in 
the  benefit  bestowed,  and  no  excellency  in  the  subject  as  the  price 
of  it;  that  goodness  goes  forth  and  flows  out,  from  the  fulness  of 
God's  nature,  the  fulness  of  the  fountain  of  good,  without  any 
amiableness  in  the  object  to  draw  it.  And  this  is  the  notion  of 
justification  without  works  (as  this  doctrine  is  taught  in  the  scrip- 
ture) that  it  is  not  the  worthiness  or  loveliqess  of  our  works,  or  any 
thing  in  us,  which  is  in  any  wise  accepted  with  God,  as  a  balance 
for  the  guilt  of  sin,  or  a  recommendation  of  sinners  to  his  accept- 
ance as  heirs  of  life.  Thus  we  are  justified  only  by  the  righteous- 
ness of  Christ,  and  not  by  our  righteousness.  And  when  works 
are  opposed  to  faith  in  this  affair,  and  it  is  said  that  we  are  justi- 
fied by  faith  and  not  by  works;  thereby  is  meant,  that  it  is  not 
the  worthiness  or  amiableness  of  our  works,  or  any  thing  in  us, 
which  recommends  us  to  an  interest  in  Christ  and  his  benefits; 
but  that  we  have  this  interest  only  by  faith,  or  by  our  souls  re- 
ceiving Christ,  or  adhering  to  and  closing  with  him.  But  that 
the  worthiness  or  amiableness  of  nothing  in  us  recommends  and 
brings  us  to  an  interest  in  Christ,  is  no  argument  that  nothing  in 
us  is  a  sign  of  an  interest  in  Christ. 

If  the  doctrines  of  free  grace,  and  justification  by  faith  alone, 
be  inconsistent  with  the  importance  of  holy  practice  as  a  sign  of 
grace;  then  they  are  equally  inconsistent  with  the  importance  of 
any  thing  whatsoever  in  us  as  a  sign  of  grace,  any  holiness,  or  any 
grace  that  is  in  us,  or  any  of  our  experiences  or  religion;  for  it  is 
as  contrary  to  the  doctrines  of  free  grace  and  justification  by  faith 
alone,  that  any  of  these  should  be  the  righteousness  wliich  we  are 


426  TWELFTH  SIGN  OP 

justified  by,  as  that  holy  practice  should  be  so.  It  is  with  holy 
works,  as  it  is  with  holy  qualifications;  it  is  inconsistent  with  the 
freeness  of  gospel  grace,  that  a  title  to  salvation  should  be  given 
to  men  hr  the  loveliness  of  any  of  their  holy  qualifications,  as 
much  as  that  it  should  be  given  for  the  holiness  of  their  works. 
It  is  inconsistent  with  the  gospel  doctrine  of  free  grace,  that  an 
interest  in  Christ  and  his  benefils  should  be  given  for  the  loveli- 
ness of  a  man's  true  holiness,  for  the  amiableness  of  his  renewed, 
sanctified,  heavenly  heart,  his  iove  to  God,  and  being  like  God, 
or  his  experience  of  joy  in  the  Hoiy  Ghost,  self  emptiness,  a  spirit 
to  exalt  Christ  above  all,  and  to  give  all  glory  to  him,  and  a  heart 
devoted  unto  him;  I  say  it  is  inconsistent  with  the  gospel  doctrine 
of  free  grace,  that  a  title  to  Christ's  benefits  should  be  given  out 
of  regard  to  the  loveliness  of  any  of  these,  or  that  any  of  these 
should  be  our  righteousness  in  the  affair  oi  justification.  And  yet 
this  does  not  hinder  the  importance  of  these  things  as  evi- 
dences of  an  interest  in  Christ.  Just  so  it  is  with  respect  to  holy 
■-'  actions  and  works.  Tomakelightof  works,  because  we  be  not  justi- 
fied by  works,  is  the  same  thing  in  effect,  as  to  make  light  of  all  re- 
ligion, all  grace  and  holiness,  yea,  true  evangelical  holiness,  and 
all  gracious  experience;  for  all  is  included,  when  the  scripture 
says,  we  are  not  justified  by  works;  for  by  works  in  this  case,  is 
meant  all  our  own  righteousness,  religion,  or  holiness,  and  every 
thing  that  is  in  us,  all  the  good  we  do,  and  all  the  good  which  we 
are  conscious  of,  all  external  acts,  and  all  internal  acts  and  exer- 
cises of  grace,  and  all  experiences,  and  all  those  holy  and  heavenly 
things  wherein  the  life  and  power,  and  the  very  essence  of  reli- 
gion do  consist,  all  those  great  things  which  Christ  and  his  apos- 
tles mainly  insisted  on  in  their  preaching,  and  endeavoured  to  pro- 
mote, as  of  the  greatest  consequence  in  the  hearts  and  lives  of 
men,  and  all  good  dispositions,  exercises  and  qualifications  of  every 
kind  whatsoever;  and  even  faith  itself,  considered  as  a  part  of 
our  holiness.  For  we  are  justified  by  none  of  these  things;  and 
if  Ave  were,  we  should,  in  a  scripture  sense,  be  justified  by  works. 
And  therefore  if  it  be  not  legal,  and  contrary  to  the  evangelical 
doctiine  of  justification  without  works,  to  insist  on  any  of  these, 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  42'? 

^s  of  great  importance,  as  evidences  of  an  interest  in  Ciirist;  then 
no  nnore  is  it,  thus  to  insist  on  the  importance  of  holy  practice. 
It  would  be  legal  to  suppose,  that  holy  practice  justifies  by  bring- 
ing us  to  a  title  to  Christ's  benefits,  as  the  price  of  it,  or  as  recom- 
mending to  it  by  its  preciousness  or  excellence;  but  it  is  not  legal 
to  suppose,  that  holy  practice  justifies  the  sincerity  of  a  believer, 
as  the  proper  evidence  of  it.  The  apostle  James  did  not  think  it 
legal  to  say,  that  Abraham  our  father  was  justified  by  works,  in 
this  sense.  The  Spirit  that  indited  the  scripture,  did  not  think 
the  great  importance  and  absolute  necessity  of  holy  practice,  in 
this  respect,  to  be  inconsistent  with  the  freeness  of  grace;  for  it 
commonly  teaches  them  both  together;  as  in  Rev.  xxi.  6,  7,  God 
says,  "  I  will  give  unto  him  that  is  athirst,  of  the  fountain  of  the 
water  of  life  freely;"  and  then  adds,  in  the  very  next  words,  "he 
that  overcometh  shall  inherit  all  things."  As  though  behaving 
well  in  the  christian  race  and  warfare,  were  the  condition  of  the 
promise.  So  in  the  next  chapter,  in  the  14th  and  15th  verses, 
Christ  says,  "  Blessed  are  they  that  do  his  commandments,  that 
they  may  have  a  riglit  to  the  tree  of  life,  ajid  enter  in  through  the 
gates  into  the  city;"  and  then  declares  in  the  15th  verse,  "  how 
they  that  are  of  a  v^icked  practice"  shall  be  excluded;  and  yet  in 
the  two  verses  next  following,  does  with  very  great  solemnity  give 
forth  an  invitation  to  all  to  come  and  take  of  the  water  of  life 
freely;  "  I  am  the  root  and  the  offspring  of  David,  the  bright  and 
morning  star.  And  the  Spirit  and  the  bride  say,  come.  And  let 
him  that  heareth,  say,  come.  And  let  him  that  is  athirst,  come;  and 
whosoever  will,  let  him  come  and  take  of  the  water  of  life  freely," 
So  chapter  iii.  20,  21,  "  Behold  I  stand  at  the  door  and  knock; 
if  any  man  hear  my  voice,  and  open  the  door,  I  will  come  in  to 
him,  and  sup  with  him,  and  he  with  me."  But  then  it  is  added 
in  the  next  words,  "  To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  grant  to  sit 
with  me  in  my  throne."  And  in  that  great  invitation  of  Christ, 
Matth.  xi.  latter  end,  "  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labour,  and  are 
heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you  rest;"  Christ  adds  in  the  next 
words,  "  Take  my  yoke  upon  you,  and  learn  of  me,  for  I  am  meek 
and  lowly  in  heart;  and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your  souls;  for  my 


1 

/ 


428  TWELFTH  SIGN  OP 

yoke  is  easy,  and  my  burden  is  light:  as  though  taking  the  burden 
of  Christ's  service,  and  imitating  his  example,  were  necessary 
in  order  to  the  promised  rest.  So  in  that  great  invitation  to  sin- 
ners to  accept  of  free  grace,  Isa.  Iv.  "  Ho,  every  one  that  thirst- 
eth,  come  ye  to  the  waters,  and  he  that  hath  no  money;  come  ye, 
buy  and  eat,  yea,  come,  buy  wine  and  milk  without  money  and 
without  price;"  even  there,  in  the  continuation  of  the  same  invi- 
tation, the  sinner's  forsaking  his  wicked  practice  is  spoken  of  as 
necessary  to  the  obtaining  mercy,  verse  7,  "  Let  the  wicked  for- 
sake his  way,  and  the  unrighteous  man  his  thoughts;  and  let 
him  return  unto  the  Lord,  and  he  will  have  mercy  upon  him, 
and  to  our  God,  for  he  will  abundantly  pardon."  So  the  riches 
of  divine  grace,  in  the  justification  of  sinners,  is  set  forth  with  the 
necessity  of  holy  practice,  Isa,  i.  16,  &c.,  "  Wash  ye,  make  you 
clean,  put  away  the  evil  of  your  doings  from  before  mine  eyes, 
cease  to  do  evil,  learn  to  do  well,  seek  judgment,  relieve  the  op- 
pressed, judge  the  fatherless,  plead  for  the  widow.  Come  now, 
let  us  reason  together,  saith  the  Lord;  though  your  sins  be  as  scar- 
let, they  shall  be  as  white  as  snow;  though  they  be  red  like  crim- 
son, they  shall  be  as  wool." 

And  in  that  most  solemn  invitation  of  wisdom,  Prov.  ix.  after 
it  is  represented  what  great  provision  is  made,  and  iiow  that  all 
things  were  ready,  the  house  built,  the  beasts  killed,  the  wine 
mingled,  and  the  table  furnished,  and  the  messengers  sent  forth 
to  invite  the  guests;  then  we  have  the  free  invitation,  verse  4,  5, 
6,  "  Whoso  is  simple,  let  him  turn  in  hither;  as  for  him  that  want- 
eth  understanding  (i.  e.  has  no  righteousness)  she  saith  to  him, 
Come,  eat  of  my  bread,  and  drink  of  the  wine  which  I  have  min- 
gled." But  then  in  the  next  breath  it  follows,  "  Forsake  the 
foolish,  and  live;  and  go  in  the  way  of  understanding;"  as  though 
forsaking  sin,  and  going  in  the  way  of  holiness,  were  necessar\  in 
order  to  life.  So  that  the  freeness  of  grace,  and  the  necessity  of  holy 
practice,  which  are  thus  from  time  to  time  joined  together  in  scrip- 
ture are  not  inconsistent  one  with  another.  Nor  does  it  at  all  dimin- 
ish the  honour  and  importance  of  faith,  that  the  exercises  and  ef- 
fects of/aith  in  practice,  should  be  esteemed  the  chief  signs  of  it. 


GRACIOUS    AFFECTIONS.  429 

any  more  than  it  lessens  the  importance  of  life,  that  action  and 
motion  are  esteemed  the  chief  signs  of  that. 

So  that  in  what  has  been  said  of  tlie  importance  of  holy  prac- 
tice as  the  main  sign  of  sincerity,  there  is  nothing  legal,  nothing 
derogatory  to  the  freedom  and  sovereignty  of  gospel  grace,  nothing 
in  the  least  clashing  with  the  gospel  doctrine  of  justification  by 
faith  alone,  without  the  works  of  the  law,  nothing  in  the  least  tend- 
ing to  lessen  the  glory  of  the  Mediator,  and  our  dependence  on  his 
righteousness,  nothing  infringing  on  the  special  prerogatives  of 
faith  in  the  affair  of  our  salvation,  nothing  in  any  wise  detracting 
from  the  glory  of  God  and  his  mercy,  or  exalting  man,  or  dimin- 
ishing his  dependence  and  obligation.  So  that  if  any  are  against 
such  an  importance  of  holy  practice  as  has  been  spoken  of,  it  must 
be  only  from  a  senseless  aversion  to  the  letters  and  sound  of  the 
word  works,  when  there  is  no  reason  in  the  world  to  be  given  for 
it,  but  what  may  be  given  with  equal  force,  why  they  should  have 
an  aversion  to  the  ^vords  holiness,  godliness,  grace,  religion,  expe- 
rience, and  even  faith  itself;  for  to  make  a  righteousness  of  any  of 
these,  is  as  legal  and  as  inconsistent  with  the  way  of  the  new  co- 
venant as  to  make  a  righteousness  of  holy  practice.! 

f  "  You  say  you  know  Christ,  and  the.love  and  goodwill  of  Christ  towards 
you,  and  that  he  is  the  propitiation  for  your  sins.  How  do  you  know  this? 
'  He  tliat  saitli  I  know  him,  and  keepeth  not  his  commandments,  is  a  liar,' 
1  Joiin  ii.4.  True,  might  some  reply,  he  that  keeps  not  the  commands  of 
Christ,  hath  thereby  a  sure  evidence  that  he  knows  him  not,  and  that  he  Is 
not  united  to  him;  but  is  this  any  evidence  that  we  do  know  him,  and  that 
we  are  united  to  him,  if  we  do  keep  his  commandments?  '  Yes  verily,'  saith 
the  apostle,  'hereby  we  do  know  him,  if  we  keep  his  commaudmenls.' 
And  again,  verse  5,  '  hereby  know  we  that  we  are  in  him.'  What  can  be 
more  plain?  What  a  vanity  is  it  to  say,  that  this  is  running  upon  a  covenant 
of  works? — O  beloved,  it  is  a  sad  thing  to  hear  such  questions,  and  such  cold 
answers  also,  that  sanctihcation  possibly  may  be  an  evidence.  May  be?  Is 
it  not  certain?  Assuredly  to  deny  it,  is  as  bad  as  to  affirm  that  God's  own 
promises  of  favour  are  not  sure  evidences  thereof,  and  consequently  that  they 
are  lies  and  untruths.  Our  Saviour,  who  was  no  legal  preacher,  pronouiiceth, 
and  consequently  evidenceth  blessedness,  by  eight  or  nine  promises,  ex- 
pressly made  to  such  persons,  as  had  inherent  graces,  Matlh.  v.  3,  4,  &c." 
SheparWs  Sound  Believer,  p.  221,  222,  223. 

3u 


/ 


430  TWELFTH  SIGN  OF 

It  is  greatly  to  the  hurt  of  religion,  for  persons  to  make  light  of, 
and  insist  little  on  those  things  which  the  scripture  insists  most 
upon,  as  of  most  importance  in  the  evidence  of  our  interest  in 
Christ,  under  a  notion  that  to  lay  weight  on  these  things  is  legal, 
and  an  old  covenant  way;  and  so  to  neglect  the  exercises  and  ef- 
fectual operations  of  grace  in  practice,  and  insist  almost  wholly 
on  discoveries,  and  on  the  method  and  manner  of  the  immanent 
exercises  of  conscience  and  grace  in  contemplation;  depending  on 
an  ability  to  make  nice  distinctions  in  these  matters,  and  a  facul- 
ty of  accurate  discerning  in  them,  from  philosophy  or  experience. 
It  is  vain  to  seek  for  any  better,  or  any  further  signs  than  those 
that  the  scriptures  have  most  expressly  mentioned,  and  most  fre- 
quently insisted  on,  as  signs  of  godliness.  They  who  pretend  to 
a  greater  accuracy  in  giving  signs,  or  by  their  extraordinary  ex- 
perience or  insight  into  the  nature  of  things,  to  give  more  distin- 
guishing marks,  which  shall  more  thoroughly  search  out  and  def- 
lect the  hypocrite,  are  but  subtile  to  darken  their  own  minds,  and 
the  minds  of  others;  their  refmings  and  nice  discerning  are,  in 
God^s  sight,  but  refined  foolishness  and  a  sagacious  delusion.  Here 
are  applicable  those  words  of  Agur,  Prov.  xxx.  5,  G,  "  Every 
word  of  God  is  pure;  he  is  a  shield  to  them  that  put  their  trust  in 
Lim:  add  thou  not  unto  his  words,  lest  he  reprove  thee,  and  thou 
be  found  a  liar."  Our  discerning,  with  regard  to  the  hearts  of 
men,  is  not  much  to  be  trusted.  We  can  see  but  a  little  way  into 
the  nature  of  the  soul,  and  the  depth  of  man's  heart.  The  ways 
are  so  many  whereby  persons'  affections  may  be  moved  without 
any  supernatural  influence,  the  natural  springs  of  the  affections 
are  so  various  and  so  secret,  so  many  things  have  oftentimes  a  joint 
influence  on  the  affections,  the  imagination,  and  that  in  ways  in- 
numerable and  unsearchable,  natural  temper,  education,  the  com- 
mon influences  of  the  Spirit  of  God,  a  surprising  concourse  of 
affecting  circumstances,  an  extraordinary  coincidence  of  things  in 
the  course  of  mens  thoughts,  together  with  the  subtile  manage- 
ment of  invisible  malicious  spirits,  that  no  philosophy  or  experi- 
ence will  be  sufficient  to  guide  us  safely  through  this  labyrinth  and 
maze,  without  our  closely  following  the  clue  which  God  has  given 


\ 


GRACIOUS  AFFECTIONS.  431 

US  in  his  word.  God  knows  his  own  reasons  why  he  insists  on 
some  things,  and  plainly  sets  them  forth  as  the  things  that  we 
should  try  ourselves  by  rather  than  others.  It  may  be  it  is  be- 
cause he  knows  that  these  things  are  attended  with  less  perplexi- 
ty, and  that  we  are  less  liable  to  be  deceived  by  them  than  others. 
He  best  knows  our  nature;  and  he  knows  the  nature  and  manner 
of  his  own  operations;  and  he  best  knows  the  way  of  our  satety; 
he  knows  what  allowances  to  make  for  different  states  of  his 
church,  and  different  tempers  of  particular  persons,  and  varieties 
in  the  manner  of  his  own  operations,  how  far  nature  may  resem- 
ble grace,  and  how  far  nature  may  be  mixed  with  grace,  what  af- 
fections may  rise  from  imagination,  and  how  far  imagination  may 
be  mixed  with  spiritual  illumination.  And  therefore  it  is  our 
wisdom,  not  to  take  his  work  out  of  his  hands,  but  to  follow  him, 
and  lay  the  stress  of  the  judgment  of  ourselves  there,  where  he  has 
directed  us.  "If  we  do  otherwise,  no  wonder  if  we  are  bewilder- 
ed, confounded  and  fatally  deluded.  But  if  we  had  got  into  the 
way  of  looking  chiefly  at  those  things  which  Christ  and  his  apos- 
tles and  prophets  chiefly  insisted  on,  and  so  in  judging  of  our- 
selves and  others,  chiefly  regarding  practical  exercises  and  effects 
of  grace  not  neglecting  other  things,  it  would  be  of  manifold  hap- 
py consequence;  it  would  above  all  things  tend  to  the  conviction 
of  deluded  hypocrites,  and  to  prevent  the  delusion  of  those  whose 
hearts  were  never  brought  to  a  thorough  compliance  with  the 
straight  and  narrow  way  which  leads  to  life;  it  would  tend  to 
deliver  us  from  innumerable  perplexities,  arising  from  the  various 
inconsistent  schemes  there  are  about  methods  and  steps  of  expe- 
rience ;  it  would  greatly  tend  to  prevent  professors  neglecting 
strictness  of  life,  and  tend  to  promote  their  engagedness  and  earn- 
estness in  their  christian  walk;  and  it  would  become  fashionable 
for  men  to  show  their  Christianity,  more  by  an  amiable  dis- 
tinguished behaviour,  than  by  an  abundant  and  excessive  de- 
claring their  experiences;  and  we  should  get  into  the  way  of  ap- 
pearing lively  in  religion,  more  by  being  lively  in  the  service  of 
God  and  our  generation,  than  by  the  liveliness  and  forwardness 
of  our  tongues,  and  making  a  business  of  proclaiming  on  the  house 


435  TWELFTH  SIGN  &C. 

tops,  with  our  mouths,  the  holy  and  eminent  acts  and  exercises  of 
our  own  hearts;  and  Christians  that  are  intimate  friends,  would 
talk  together  of  their  experiences  and  comforts,  in  a  manner  bet- 
ter becoming  christian  humility  and  modesty,  and  more  to  each 
other's  profit;  their  tongues  not  running  before,  but  rather  going 
behind  their  hands  and  feet,  after  the  prudent  example  of  the 
blessed  apostle,  2  Cor.  xii.  6,  and  many  occasions  of  spiritual 
pride  would  be  cut  off;  and  so  a  great  door  shut  against  the  devil; 
and  a  great  many  of  the  main  stumbling  blocks  against  experi- 
mental and  powerful  religion  would  be  removed;  and  religion 
would  be  declared  and  manifested  in  such  a  way  that,  instead  of 
hardening  spectators,  and  exceedingly  promoting  infidelity  and 
atheism,  would,  above  all  things,  tend  to  convince  men  that  there 
is  a  reality  in  religion,  and  greatly  awaken  them,  and,  win  them, 
by  convincing  their  consciences  of  the  importance  and  excellency 
of  religion.  Thus  the  light  of  professors  would  so  shine  before 
men,  that  others,  seeing  their  good  works,  would  glorify  their  Fa- 
ther which  is  in  heaven. 


"v 


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